DARTMOUTH – Delores M. Medeiros, age 89 of Dartmouth, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021 in Charlton Memorial Hospital. Delores was the beloved wife of the late Edward R. Medeiros and the daughter of the late Joseph and Rose May (Furtado) Oliveira.
Delores was the oldest of 5 children. She conversed often about her childhood growing up in the “Corky Row” neighborhood and how she helped her mother raise her siblings. She got married at a young age and started a family of her own. She enjoyed camping and spending time with the family on Sundays with cookouts, pool parties and massive clam boils. She worked a few assembly line jobs, which carried on to her work ethics later on in life. She worked at the Salvation Army for many years and enjoyed all the “Good Buys” she would bring home. She also worked in a Laundromat and carried on the enjoyment in her later years by folding cloths with the perfect folds. She taught herself to sew and made all of her children’s Sunday Church outfits. Prior to retiring, Delores worked in the office of Dave’s Tire and also for Dr. Daily as a medical receptionist.
Delores was in her late fifties when her husband passed away. She became a member of a widow’s group and enjoyed a lot of traveling with her new-found friends. Delores loved listening to her favorite A.M. radio station, WSAR 1480, every morning for years, while sipping her many cups of French Vanilla Coffee. The first words out of her mouth every morning before getting out of bed were, “what is the weather like today”? She LOVED the SUN and could sit and bask in the sun for hours with a smile on her face, asking every 1/2 hour, “am I getting tan?” She was an avid Boston Red Sox Fan and loved watching the games, then would talk about her younger days as shortstop in the game. She loved the garden of veggies and flowers, but mostly the tomatoes, peeling all of them for the canning process, then admire all the jars with such joy. Her love for ironing and having NO wrinkles in anything was a bit obsessive. She had shirts and pants in every color, and her closet was organized like a beautiful rainbow. She HAD to make her bed every day, with every sheet and blanket tucked so perfect you could bounce a ball on it like in the Army. Delores also loved watching her favorite TV shows: Lawrence Welk, Price is Right, Jeopardy, Family Feud and Wheel of Fortune. She loved singing to old songs and John Denver was one of her favorites. One of her talents was playing some chords on the harmonica, oh, and also flexing and making her right bicep dance. She was still so flexible that she could still touch the ground with her palms, and was very proud of that. She attended the Westport Council on Aging Social Day Program. The love and laughter she received and gave to all those who were part of the program was amazing. They will always remain in her heart. Although she was legally blind, that did not stop her from enjoying crafting - beading, sanding wood, then also priming and painting.
Her favorite color was RED! Red everything! She also loved Cardinals. Delores loved to shop at Savers for all the “good buys.” Hair had to be curled, lipstick applied, nails painted and cheeks blushed every day. Even a 2nd or 3rd coat of lipstick at night time. She had a big appetite and every dinner needed to be served with garlic bread. Her love for Coney Island Hotdogs was pretty intense. She lived a full life.
Survivors include her daughters: Leslie Lopes of New Bedford, Brenda L. Connors of Dartmouth, the late Cynthia R. Falcon, Debra A. Duarte of FL, and Dolly Genannt of Dartmouth; brothers: William Oliveira of Tiverton and the late Joseph & Robert Oliveira; sister: the late Eileen Medeiros; 9 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren and 2 great great-grandchildren.
Funeral services for Delores will take place at the Manuel Rogers Funeral Home, 1521 N. Main St., Fall River, MA. on Tuesday, Aug. 24th at 11 a.m. Interment in St. Patrick’s Cemetery. Calling hours on Monday, Aug. 23rd from 5-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Delores had a love of gardening, please plant your favorite flower in her memory, so every time you see it think happy thoughts of her. To send the family expressions of sympathy, please go to www.rogersfuneral.com