Dolores Vera Gentes

Dolores Vera Zajicek Gentes, a retired english teacher still active in education, died on Good Friday at home after battling breast cancer. She was 80 and lived in Northeast Baltimore.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Victoria and Bohumil Zajicek, she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois and a masters degree Johns Hopkins University.

She began her teaching career in 1954 at the Poole School, teaching grades 7 and 8 combined. She then moved on to Pontiac High School, both schools in Illinois, where she met her future husband of 46 years, harold Gentes deceased since 2002.

The family moved to Baltimore in 1964 where she taught at Leith Walk Elementary in Northeast Baltimore.

In 1973 she became a Baltimore County teacher at Ridgeley and Perry Hall Middle, Randallstown and Towson Senior High Schools and retired in 1992.

In retirement she was involved with the Czech and Slovak Heritage Association, serving on the Board of Directors and the government of the Czech Republic as their longest tenured language instructor. She also worked as a translator and for this dedication was awarded a scholarship to the Charles University in Prague for advanced language study.

She had a tremendous compassion for all animals great and small, caring for ferrol cat colonies and other pets throughout her life.

Please pay your respects to the family at the Schimunek Funeral Home, Inc., 9705 Belair Road, Nottingham, Maryland 21236 on Friday April 29, 2011 from 2-4 & 7-9 pm where funeral services will be held on Saturday April 30, 2011 at 11:00 am. Interment: Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name to the: Animal Rescue, Inc. at 2 Heritage Farm Dr., New Freedom, PA 17349

Survivors include her brother Bohumil "Bob" Zajicek, for whom she was caregiver, and her son Paul F. Gentes of Bel Air. I