Obituary: Dolores Vincenza Scavone Schierholz, 87, of East Haven

Information via Porto Funeral Home

Dolores Vincenza Scavone Schierholz, 87 years old of East Haven, passed on February 1, 2018 of cancer in the loving company of her family. Beloved mother, grandmother, sister-in-law, and friend. Pre-deceased by her husband Edward Schierholz (1999), brother Edwin Scavone (1996), mother Genoeffa Palladino Scavone (1989), and father Fred Scavone (1961).

She was a graduate of Commercial High School in Fair Haven and worked at Sears in New Haven before embarking on a long career with St. Johnsbury Trucking Company, retiring in 1990. She was a member of the Summit Gardens Women’s Club, the Double Beach beach club where she and her family experienced joyful and memorable summers in 1969, 1970, and 1971, and she was a volunteer at the Shubert Theater.

She enjoyed traveling, often to visit her children including to Portland, Oregon; Missoula, Montana; and numerous cities in Spain. A life highlight was a 1998 trip with two of her sons throughout Italy including to the Amalfi Coast, where they sought to meet any of her 7 aunts and uncles. In Salerno, they found and introduced themselves to her Italian family headed by her aunt Elena who had been praying the rosary since Genoeffa’s 1963 visit for God to allow her to meet Dolores.

As a result, to this day her American and Italian families remain in close contact. Also on that trip, at the age of 68, she hiked on foot down to the Blue Grotto on the Isle of Capri. She was a great swing dancer and also enjoyed roller skating and trips to Las Vegas with her late husband Edward. Since 1991, with her son Kurt, she raised her grandson Kristopher from the age of 18 months, after Kristopher’s mother suffered an untimely passing. Her grandchildren referred to her as Gadget Grandma - since she was always gifting them something new and thoughtful to help with their daily lives.

She also attended all of her children’s and grandchildren’s sporting and other events. Nothing was more important to her than her family. She was an avid New England Patriots and UCONN Women’s basketball fan, and she kept extremely busy and active up until her final days by bowling weekly (including a league-high 234 score at age 85 in 2016!), playing bocce, exercising via water aerobics three times per week, and cooking family dinner for her 5 children and 4 grandchildren each Thursday.

She had numerous friends who loved her dearly, many of them life-long, including her best friend since the age of 6, Ann Plano. She lived life with vigor and an unyielding positivity and selflessness; and without complaint. She is survived by her 5 loving children: Kurt Schierholz, Frederika Johnson, Eric Schierholz (Margaret O’Keefe), Jennifer Bright (Thomas), and Adam Schierholz (Lisa); and 4 adoring grandchildren: Michelle Perez (Michael), Kristopher Schierholz, Robert Bright, and James Bright; as well as her sister-in-law Patricia Scavone.Relatives and friends are invited to a Mass of Christian Burial Saturday morning February 10, 2018 at 11:00 in Our Lady of Pompeii Church. Interment will be private.

There will be NO CALLING HOURS. In lieu of flowers Memorial contributions may be made to CT Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd., Branford, CT 06405.