Dolores Gloria Policastro

Dolores Gloria Policastro (née Wisniewski), of River Vale, formerly of Brick, NJ, passed away peacefully on July 26, 2025, at the age of 82. She leaves behind a loving legacy through her three children: Donna Sandt and her husband Rob, Frank Policastro, and Jim Policastro and his wife Lisa. Dolores was the proud and devoted grandmother to Allison, Carolyn, Madeleine, Lilé, and Nola.

Born in 1942 to Lillian and Ben Wisniewski in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Dolores nurtured a lifelong love of the arts. At Bay Ridge High School, she played violin and piano in the orchestra and discovered a passion for painting and drawing that remained with her throughout her life. After high school, she studied art and business at FIT and began her professional career as an administrative assistant at a law firm, where she also took paralegal classes.

She met and married her husband in 1971, settling in Sheepshead Bay where they welcomed their first two children, Donna and Frank. In 1976, the family moved to Westwood, NJ, where their third child, James, was born. Dolores immersed herself in her children’s lives and became a vibrant part of the community—leading her daughter’s Girl Scout troop, volunteering at St. Andrew’s School, and supporting her sons’ many varied interests.

In 1994, Dolores relocated to Brick, NJ, where she cared for her aging mother and worked as an office manager for CMM Construction. After retiring in 2014, she filled her days with the things she loved most: crafting, painting, and creating intricate miniatures.

Dolores was known for her quirky charm, strong spirit, and love of life’s simple pleasures. She believed in an open-door policy, often becoming a second mother to her children’s friends—many of whom recall her open kitchen, ready smile, and easy laugh.

A funeral Mass will be held at St. John the Baptist Church on Friday, August 1st, with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. and Mass at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a cause close to Dolores’s heart.