Dolores Jeanne Walsh
February 23, 1932 - May 2, 2009
Biography
DOLORES JEANNE WALSH
THIS IS IN LOVING MEMORY OF DOLORES WALSH BORN
FEBRUARY 23, 1932 TO MARY AND EDWARD MCDONNELL OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.
DOLORES GREW UP WITH HER PARENTS, TWO SISTERS CARMEL AND PENNY, AND HER YOUNGER BROTHER EDWARD, ATTENDING PAROCHIAL SCHOOL AND THEN TO ST. VINCENT’S, AN ALL GIRL HIGH SCHOOL IN THE CITY.
DOLORES MET THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, JIM, WHILE BOTH WERE WORKING AT THE AMERICAN CAN CO. IN SAN FRANCISCO. THEY TRAVELED TO GERMANY WHERE JIM WAS STATIONED IN THE ARMY, AND LATER CAME HOME TOGETHER TO START THEIR FAMILY.
DOLORES WAS PROUD TO RAISE HER FOUR BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS, WORKING PART TIME IN THE SUNNYVALE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG. LATER SHE JOINED THE CORPORATE WORLD TO WORK AT FUJITSU AMERICA, WHERE SHE MET WONDERFUL FRIENDS AND EMBRACED THE JAPANESE CULTURE.
DOLORES AND JIM LIVED WITH THEIR DAUGHTERS IN SUNNYVALE FOR 30 YEARS LATER MOVING TO ROCKLIN TO BE CLOSER TO THE GIRLS AS THEY BEGAN FAMILIES OF THEIR OWN. IN 1995, DOLORES AND JIM WERE DEVASTATED BY THE DEATH OF THEIR THIRD DAUGHTER, MAUREEN WALSH-UNGER, WHO HAD RECENTLY FOUND AND MARRIED GIDEON UNGER, THE MAN OF HER DREAMS. THE LOSS OF HER DAUGHTER CHANGED HER LIFE FOREVER. DOLORES IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED IN MAUREEN’S VALIANT FOOTSTEPS, BECOMING A VOLUNTEER FOR SUTTER ROSEVILLE HOSPICE, WHERE SHE DELIVERED MEDICINES, HELPED DEVELOP PROGRAMS AND CARED FOR TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS.
DOLORES ALSO ENJOYED DANCING WITH A GROUP OF LADIES CALLED THE JAZZABELLES, AND CONTINUED TO TAKE DANCE CLASSES AT GREEN TREE IN LOOMIS. SHE ENJOYED THE PERFORMANCES HER GROUPS PUT ON FOR THE COMMUNITY, FAMILY AND FRIENDS. SHE ALSO ENJOYED BEING PART OF A CLOSE KNIT GROUP OF LADIES THAT CALL THEMSELVES THE STARS. THEY MET ON A REGULAR BASIS ENJOYING A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES TOGETHER. DOLORES ALSO CHERISHED HER TIME AS PART OF THE RED HAT SOCIETY WHERE SHE DEVELOPED AMAZINGLY CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE GREATEST GROUP OF WOMEN. SHE WAS SO PROUD AND HAPPY TO HAVE MET THESE WOMEN, AND TO HAVE SHARED A KINDRED SPIRIT.
UNFORTUNATELY, DOLORES PASSED AWAY ON MAY 2, 2009, AFTER A BRAVE AND VALIANT BATTLE WITH CANCER. DOLORES RELUCTANTLY LEAVES BEHIND HER LOVING HUSBAND JIM, HER SISTER MARY CARMEL MCDONNELL, HER BROTHER EDWARD MCDONNELL, HER THREE DEVOTED DAUGHTERS KATHY GONDEN, MICKY BURCHAM AND KERRY BRIUOLO. SHE ALSO LEAVES BEHIND HER 6 PROUD AND LOVING GRANDCHILDREN, MALLORY AND MATTHEW, TRAVIS AND CHASE, AND DANIELA AND ADRIANA. HER HUSBAND, DAUGHTERS AND GRANDCHILDREN WERE ALL BY HER SIDE FOR THE VERY DIFFICULT LAST THREE WEEKS.
DOLORES VOLUNTEERED AS A HOSPICE WORKER UP UNTIL THE VERY END, WHEN SHE HAD TO BECOME A HOSPICE PATIENT HERSELF. HER GENEROSITY AND KIND HEART MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR HER TO BECOME THE PATIENT HERSELF WHEN THE TIME CAME.
THE KAISER HOSPICE GROUP THAT HELPED TAKE CARE OF DOLORES WAS WONDERFUL. HER FAMILY WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM AND GREAT RESPECT FOR HER. HER DECLINING HEALTH TOOK ITS TOLL ON HER BODY, BUT NEVER HER COURAGEOUS, GENEROUS AND LOVING SPIRIT.
Facts
Born: February 23, 1932
Place of Birth: San Francisco, California
Death: May 2, 2009
Place of Death: Rocklin, California
Occupation: Retired
Hobbies: Wine Tasting, Jazz & Tap Dancing
Organizations: Sutter Roseville Hospice Volunteer, Red Hat Society, Soroptimists, Stars, Jazzabelles
Survivors
Jim Walsh, Spouse
Edward McDonnell, Brother
Mary Carmel McDonnell, Sister
Kathy Gonden, Daughter
Micky Burcham, Daughter
Kerry Briuolo, Daughter
Mallory Burcham, Granddaughter
Travis Gonden, Grandson
Chase Gonden, Grandson
Matthew Burcham, Grandson
Daniela Briuolo, Granddaughter
Adriana Briuolo, Granddaughter
Preceded in Death By
Edward McDonnell, Father
Mary McDonnell, Mother
Penny Sharwood, Sister
Maureen Walsh-Unger, Daughter
Services
Memorial Church Service
Friday
May 15, 2009, 4:00 P.M.
at
SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church
Click for Map and Directions
Celebration of Life immediately following the church service at Strikes Family Entertainment Center, 5681 Lonetree Blvd. Rocklin, CA 95675
Celebration of Life
Friday
May 15, 2009, 5:30pm
- ??
at
Strikes Entertainment Center
Click for Map and Directions
Donations
Memorial donations may be made to:
Kaiser Permanente Roseville Hospice