Dolores Deloach

Moina Dolores (Long) DeLoach was born on June 13, 1930 on Bedloe’s (Liberty) Island in New York Harbor, daughter of Captain Charles and Mary (Potkalitsky) Long. She left this earth on August 25, 2025 in Sarasota, Florida at age 95, after a long illness.

As a little girl she played in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty with her three older sisters. This, along with being an Army brat and later a Navy wife, contributed to her being a staunch, lifelong American patriot.

Dolores spent her teen years in Bradenton, Florida, where she graduated from Manasota High School in 1948. She married Lewis Stancel DeLoach Jr. on December 28, 1949 and spent the next twenty-one years moving with her husband from one military assignment to the next. She was very proud to be a Navy wife and often had to be both Mom and Dad while Lewis was away on various land and sea deployments. The DeLoach’s raised four children, Patrice Rene’, Michael Phillippe, Gerald Craig, and Heather Paige.

After Lewis’s Naval retirement in 1970, the family moved back home to Sarasota, Florida, where they continued to raise the three younger children, as Rene’ was married by then. Dolores enjoyed fishing with Lewis and their many dogs, birds, snakes, etc. She also enjoyed cooking, usually for a lot of people. The small Deloach home had a large welcome mat, and was often full of adult children, grandchildren, sons’ in-law, daughters’ in-law, friends, and friends of friends. There would often be a football game on television or Willie Nelson providing background. Maybe both at once. Card games were played with vigor. On any given week-end night, the home could have twenty or more guests, and more on Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is no telling how many people Dolores cooked for in her lifetime.

After Lewis’ passing, Dolores spent several years with Heather and Hunter, (where she enjoyed not cooking), and loved watching their children, Eli, Ella and Chase grow up.

Dolores was pre-deceased by her husband, Lewis; sons, Michael and Craig; grandchildren, Frank DeLoach, Joseph Derocher, Rebecca Derocher and sisters, Dorothy, Gloria, and Ruth.

She is survived by her daughters, Rene’ (Leon) Derocher, Heather (Hunter) Oswald, and daughter in law, Linda, many nieces and nephew, 9 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and 8 great-great grandchildren!

A graveside service will be held Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 1:00 pm at Palms Memorial Park, 170 Honore Ave. Sarasota, FL 34232.

She was greatly loved and cherished by her family!