Dolores McNelis

Dolores A. McNelis
August 6, 1947 - May 25, 2026

A Beautiful Life

Born in 1947, Dolores was a true baby boomer. Her father, Stanley Keiper, served as a radio operator and gunner on B 26 Marauder bombers flying some 65 missions from England over France, Holland and Belgium. Her mother, Elizabeth Depman Keiper, worked at the Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia making parts for the bomb sights used in the war effort.

Her parents married in March of 1945, just before the war ended in Europe. Stanley had four more months of flying in China, Burma and India before being discharged in July. Her maternal grandfather, Francis Depman, worked as an engineer for a company that built bridges, tunnels, water towers, highways and dams in and around Philadelphia. Her mother, Elizabeth, and maternal grandmother Rebecca, both played the piano. Dolores learned too but that only became important later.

Dolores was the second of four beautiful daughters, big sister Elizabeth and younger sisters Norma and Anne. She attended St. Christopher grammar school and graduated from Villa Joseph Marie high school in 1965. On a blind date in 1966, arranged by a friend of her older sister, she met Brian McNelis who had just completed four years in the Air Force. They dated for a time but she had other plans.

She graduated from Trenton Junior College with an Associate’s degree and worked for University of Pennsylvania Hospital as a histology technician, using a microtome to make slides of patient tissue samples. An ad for a job as a flight attendant lured her and she spent two years flying for United Airlines based at Newark Airport.

She married Brian in 1971 and they had four children, Gwendolyn, Gretchen, Gregory and Matthew. She decided to be a stay-at-home mother and worked diligently at making a loving home for her family. As money was tight, she made dresses and play clothes for her daughters using a sewing machine that was a gift.

When their original cheap living room furniture grew threadbare, she bought sturdy cloth and recovered each piece. She made curtains and drapes for the windows, holiday decorations, decorative pillows and even quilts. She was a model of thrift and managed her husband's modest income so well they were able to send all four children to college without loans.

Tireless in the domestic arts, she loved entertaining and taught herself to be a wonderful cook and baker. Holiday meals were legendary in the family, including turkey done to perfection at Thanksgiving and mouth-watering beef Wellington at Christmas. Her apple and pumpkin pies were wonderful as were Christmas rum cakes. She fed up to twenty at holidays with tables stretching from the kitchen through the dining room and into the living room.

Eventually there was time for travel. They visited Ireland where both her maternal grandmother and her husband had roots in Donegal. Visiting a major cathedral in England, Dolores had an overwhelming born-again experience and began to study scripture and look for ways to be of service to those in need.

She volunteered as a member of the Chaplain's staff at Newton (NJ) Memorial Hospital; worked for a time as a home health aide, even using the Heimlich maneuver once to save a choking client. She volunteered at the Andover (NJ) nursing home playing the piano and singing the old songs the residents loved. The grateful nursing home named her volunteer of the year in 2007. She also made time to help elderly neighbors and friends.

She always loved music and would play almost daily the piano her mother gave her. She decided to join the Sussex County (NJ) Oratorio Society and talked Brian into joining with her. With her beautiful soprano voice and ability to read music and play the piano, she drilled him regularly in his harmonies.

Dolores loved spending time with her ten grandchildren Abigail, Jordan, Raquel and Joshua Fredette, Demitri Clark, Mark and Dean McNelis and Cameron McNelis and his twin brothers Everett and Ian. She took them kayaking on a nearby lake, and on expeditions to local attractions including the Sussex County (NJ) Farm and Horse show and the Ogdensburg Zinc Mine. The mine was the source of zinc smelted in the furnaces in Palmerton, PA, where her father once lived and worked.

After the children moved out, she welcomed her husband's mother Margaret. One day as Dolores was helping dress her, Margaret collapsed. Dolores caught her and she died as Dolores lowered her onto a bed. Margaret was 96. When her own mother Elizabeth needed care, Dolores took her in too, caring for her lovingly for several years until Dolores herself became ill. Elizabeth was then cared for by Norma and lived to be 99.

Dolores treated everyone, family, friends, neighbors, clients and even strangers with respect and an abundance of love. She led a beautiful and exemplary life.

Dolores is survived by her husband of 54 years Brian McNelis. Loving Mom of Gwendolyn Fredette(Jon), Gretchen Clark (Adam), Gregory McNelis (Nicole) and Matthew McNelis (Lauren). Grandmom of Abigail, Raquel, Jordan, Joshua, Demitri, Mark, Dean, Cameron, Everett and Ian. Great Grandmom of Juniper and Coral. Sister of Norma Coulston(David), Anne Pileggi(the late Anthony) and the late Elizabeth Moyer(William). Relatives and friends are invited to her visitation Wednesday June 3rd 9:00 AM at The Berachah Church 400 Ashbourne Road Cheltenham, PA, 19012. Funeral Service 10:00 AM. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations to Doctors without Borders 40 Rector St 16th Floor New York, NY 10006. www.doctorswithoutborders.org