Dolores Cleary

CLEARY – Dolores, 89, of Maryville, TN formerly of Hicksville, NY entered Paradise on December 28, 2024. Dolores is predeceased by her cherished husband Lawrence (Bud), beloved daughter Stephanie, daughter-in-law Donna and granddaughter Julianne, her mother Josephine and father Joseph, sister Kathleen and brothers George, Joseph and Eddie and many dear extended family members, in-laws and friends. Dolores is survived by her loving children Buddy (Eileen), Maureen, Gina Rath (Dave), Jennifer, Therese Beaty (Greg), the late Stephanie Barry (Kevin), and Cynthia Trombetta (Steven). Devoted grandmother of Briana Peak (Andrew), Lynsey, Chrissie (Wilmer) and Danny Cleary, Vanessa Cleary, Collin (Alison), Kelly-Jo and Erin Rath, Sabrina, Ashley, Jessica, Christian and Ryan Barry, Natalie and Salvatore Trombetta; and devoted Great-Grandmother to Keegan and Charlotte Peak, Sylas and Paige Rath and Isabella Cedano.

Reposing Thursday, January 2, 4-8:00 pm at Vernon C. Wagner Funeral Home 125 West Old Country Rd., Hicksville. Funeral Mass, Friday, January 3, at 10:00 am at Holy

Family Church, Hicksville. Interment St. Charles Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Dolores' memory to the Miss Amazing Organization (an Organization for young girls and women with disabilities to showcase their Abilities! And to help the girls develop community among themselves), 1109 Parc Drive Papillion NE 68046 (MissAmazing.org) or the Bobby Jones Chiari Syringomyelia Foundation (bobbyjonescsf.org) (an Organization seeking to advance knowledge through research and educate medical and lay community about Chiari malformation, Syringomyelia and other related disorders) 29 Crest Loop Staten Island NY 10312. These two organizations were near and dear to mom's heart.

Our family would like to extend our deepest love and appreciation to our sister Maureen and her daughter Vanessa, for their selfless and devoted care of our mom for many, many years ensuring mom was surrounded by love, assistance and comfort every day.

Dolores was born in Park Slope, Brooklyn and her husband Bud was from Flatbush. They met at a local dance, courted and married on May 5, 1956 at Saint Augustine's Church. After their marriage they moved from Brooklyn to Long Island. Mom and dad would raise us in the Catholic faith and wanted our Parish Holy Family and our schools to be within walking distance of our home. Through creative effort and door knocking, she found sellers at 39 Belle Court in Hicksville, NY willing to sell their home and we lived there for almost 50 years. Mom and dad raised 7 children and sacrificed to ensure that their children received a Catholic education at Holy Family Grammar School and Holy Trinity High School.

Our parent's lives revolved around each other and their family. Every summer we took a one week vacation. Climbing into the old, 3-row station wagon, usually with a 16 foot boat in tow, our family joined a caravan of other station wagons, (pulling boats) leaving Long Island for parts unknown to the north in the Catskills and Adirondacks (Circle B Ranch!) The Wagoneers included the Zarnays, (her sister Kathleen’s bunch) the Zaleskis, the Hassans, the Marras and the Fitzgeralds. Other trips and celebrations were shared with our aunts, uncles and cousins: the other Cleary's (Uncle Jimmy's bunch), the Rorke, Lauer, Quinn, Farrell and Fitzgerald families. Mom would have get togethers/visits with extended families and dear friends the Petersen (& Do O), Barry, Rath, Rustom, Demas, Pitta, DiPaoli, Brash, Cranston, Dolan, Driscoll, Devenish, Fabio, Fran (her hairdresser before Therese) Gillick, Hartmann, Herlihy, Maurer, Mullan, McDonald, Murphy, Somma, Tuohy, Wiener families, and the girls at Crystal Nail. If there are any friends/families we neglected to mention, please forgive us and know you are loved!

As years went by, we were blessed to unite for many summer vacations at a beach house on the shores of the Outer Banks, as the family swelled with many, many grandchildren. While on vacation, Mom loved dressing up her grandchildren in themed outfits and helped them put on a big Show of song and dance on the last night of the trip. The gatherings on the beach lasted all morning, day and into the night, then we retired to the house for fun at the pool, hilarious games of Shout it Out! and Balderdash and late night poker. Laughter and fun filled our home!

Dolores and Bud devoted their time and finances to support all of their children and grandchildren’s academic, athletic, and artistic pursuits. Mom and dad exemplified extreme sacrifice for and generosity to their family. Dad was an FDNY Fire Chief so he couldn't make all events but he would be there whenever he could, but Mom was Always in the stands for hockey games, gymnastics meets, cheerleading competitions, marathons, swimming meets, school plays, dance recitals, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball games, community theatre plays, brownies and Girl scout events, Christmas concerts, the Miss Amazing Pageants.

One of our cherished traditions was the yearly Home Movie Show where our parents would assemble the projector screen and projector and we would watch the home movie reel that began with a clip of our parents when they were young... Other cherished memories include Bingo with mom, Patsy Petersen and Grandma Lauer; Going to the Casinos in New York and Connecticut (boy could she really move with that walker trying to find the perfect slot machine!) Sitting every night with mom and dad watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, while often one of us girls brushed her hair; seeing dad take out the electric slicer and the announcement that mom is making her famous noodles and beef for dinner!; and in later years when dad or one of us asked what's for dinner, mom would say get me my binder... by then not a binder of recipes... but a binder of menus from her favorite local restaurants on Long Island (Oak Chalet, their fave)! Mom loved to laugh and, like dad and all of us, loved to be entertained by the competing comedians in the family: Buddy, Dave (not Kevin), Kevin (not Dave) Steph and Therese... She and my dad would delight when either of them cracked a joke that landed! She was self effacing, and sometimes did the most hysterical things, that will only be shared in person.

After raising her children, mom began working at various jobs for a few years but she found her true passion as a Travel Agent, first with Hillside Travel in Hicksville and then with Mike Milano at M&M Travel in Patchogue. She was a masterful planner and negotiator ensuring that her clients’ honeymoons, cruises, and trips-of-a-lifetime provided them with an unforgettable experience, for the least amount of money! Her skills as a negotiator were legendary. When mom and dad finally were able to buy a brand new car for the first time ever, they went shopping at different dealerships. At the first dealership, she negotiated the best price (pretty certain she did all the talking!), then placed a credit card in front of them and said... Use this. They looked at her incredulously and said.... Ma'am, you can't buy a car with a credit card. She said if you won't take the card, we will go to the next dealership. They wouldn't budge, so our parents tried the next dealership, who also declined payment with a credit card. But a few hours later, the first dealership called and relented. To our knowledge, Dolores Cleary paved the way for car buyers everywhere to be able to purchase a car with a credit card! She wanted those travel points! The only person against whom mom could not win a negotiation was Sr. Eileen... The Principal of Holy Family. At a teacher's meeting discussing the upcoming 1976 Bicentennial, our mom suggested that the school should have a parade. Sister Eileen voluntold mom "Great! Organize it!" Well, Mom's Bicentennial parade of the children of Holy Family, with our youngest sister Cynthia dressed up as Ben Franklin, was a hit!

Mom was so very thoughtful. Whenever she returned from shopping she delighted in showing us what new outfit she picked up for her grandkids and always at a discount! She could find the sales like no other! She almost never shopped for herself, it was always to find the most thoughtful gift for someone else. Her care packages to our dorm rooms were legendary! Dorm mates Loved when a package arrived from Mrs. Cleary! Whenever a family member needed her, she was there. And she was always there to lend a hand to her neighbors as Debbie shared... her mom would from time to time ask our mom to taxi the Rustom kids to and fro...their kids piled on top of her own in the station wagon... or dropping everything to help a dear friend, Mrs. Hassan, who had to get to Mercy Hospital immediately to ensure Mrs. Hassan's mom got the hospital bed that just became available.

Mom loved to travel with our dad, and almost always invited one or another of us to join them on trips to Florida, Aruba, Disney or many of the Amusement Parks with terrifying rollercoasters and other such rides. When in Disney, many of us rode Space Mountain over and over again. Therese and mom, quite afraid to ride, waited patiently for us while soaking in the Disney experience, hence their shared love for all things Disney. Our mom and dad loved to have family with them, to enjoy and build memories together. Her absolute favorite trips were to the hospital for the birth of her grandchildren and to Guatemala for the fulfillment of Vanessa's "Gotcha Day"!

Recently, Mom had been getting frailer and having some health issues and had been sleeping quite a bit in the days leading up to Christmas. But on Christmas, mom was alert and lively; enjoying her time and engaging with her grandchildren, Natalie and Salvatore and great-grands, Sylas and Paige. The next two days, mom barely stirred. Hospice let us know the end may be near. From the night of the 27th into the early morning hours of the 28th, Maureen and Regina held her hand and kept vigil. Bocelli's "The Greatest Gift" was playing softly in the background. Maureen and Gina said at the moment the chorus sang, "Hear the Angels sing, Hear the Angels sing, Hallelujah from above", Mom took her last breath.... the Angels had called her home and mom passed peacefully in her sleep. Thank you Mom for giving your youngest grandchildren and great-grandchildren one last gift of your delightful presence on Christmas day! And thank you for sending the cardinal, who flew along side Maureen's car yesterday as she took that crazy curve... to remind her as you used to say "take it slow, take it slow." Thank you for being The Greatest Gift to us Mom! We love you and we miss you so much! Give Dad, Julianne, Steph, Donna and all our loved ones in Heaven, a kiss and a hug from us. We can't wait to see you again!