Dolores J. Nitzen – Born: December 22, 1939 on Cooley Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, Ireland to Thomas and Honora Byrne nee Gaynor. Died: March 21, 2018. Dolores’ sister, Rona Byrne met a young American Serviceman in Dublin stationed in Germany and was on holiday in Dublin. His parents invited Rona to visit America. Rona later married Fred Maley whom she met at Penn State University. Since her Mom was widowed, Rona wanted her family to immigrate to America. Nora, Dolores and Teresa arrived in America on March 15, 1959 and were later followed by her brothers, Tom and Jack and their families.
Dolores married Danny Alan Nitzen on June 4, 1960. They bought a house on Clarissa Lane where they lived for over 50 years, raising their three boys, Loyd, David and Sean. They were married for 54 years, (a month shy of 55 years) as Danny preceded Dolores in death on 5/10/15.
Dolores is survived by her three sons and their wives, nine grandchildren and one great grand-daughter.
Dolores and her sister Teresa were inseparable. Teresa’s daughter Kelly was the same age as Sean. Together, they would go on countless adventures including camping trips, parks, the zoo and the beach. They were together so much that the family considered Kelly a true sister and not a cousin.
Her grandchildren and great-grandchild were very important to Dolores. When they were young, she would sing an old Irish tune while standing in front of a mirror or bouncing them on her knee. She had a shoebox filled with little trinkets that the kids spent hours playing with when they came to visit. The grandchildren were so spoiled on holidays. She made handwritten cards sent to each child with a little money in it to buy something special. As the grandchildren grew, she was truly interested in their daily events. She enjoyed learning about each grandchild and their interests. Each child was made to feel special. She was not judgmental, but rather listened intently and gave gentle advice only when she felt it was necessary.
Her devotion to her family was apparent in the dedication she made to her boys. She volunteered in the boys classrooms at Guin Foss Elementary Schools, was Cub Scout den mother, and team mom at Tustin Western Little League. Multiply that by three sons. She was busy, and enjoyed every minute of it. She had various jobs and eventually served 35 years at Farmers Insurance Group.
Her sweet Irish accent would lure the most hesitant of strangers to spark up a conversation and thus made friends easily whether it was at her boy’s events, in the work place, or a doctor’s visit.
Dolores would tell stories of Ireland and growing up with her beloved brothers, sisters, friends, Mom and Dad. She told stories of going window shopping with little or no money in their pocket to buy anything, and could only dream of having those things. This was a reality they lived. The laughter they all shared and the satire used to describe their collective experiences defined who she truly was. Dolores was not concerned about material things, she was concerned about people. She was kind and giving of herself and her time. Whenever asked if there was something she needed, she would always respond by saying “No, I’m fine.” Even at the end of her life with much of her body failing she still replied, “I’m fine.” Now she really is fine indeed.
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