Doris was born in 1926 in Peekskill, New York. Both her parents were from Santa Croce del Sannio, Italy. They came to the United States at different times, but later met and married in Peekskill, where they raised a family. Right after high school Doris went to a trade school to learn to operate specialized office equipment. Then she worked for a time in the office at Fleischmann’s (Standard Brands) in Peekskill. She later worked for a number of years in an administrative capacity at Whittaker Laboratories in Peekskill. Whittaker was known worldwide for the development and manufacture of medicinal creams.
Doris’s first husband, James W. Cronin, passed away in 1959. He was the father of her daughter Christine. Doris was later married to Nathaniel Johnson for 56 years and became a blended family with his children Deirdre, Nathaniel, and Gregory. After Doris married him, she became a full-time mother and housewife. Nathaniel preceded her in death in 2019.
Doris loved to travel. She and Nathaniel traveled all over the world to places like Canada, Europe, the Mediterranean, China, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as traveling extensively in the continental United States and Hawaii. Doris loved bowling and participated in leagues for decades, up until she was in her 80s. She also loved reading, gardening, and animals, especially cats and birds. Doris was always spirited and vibrant, and her family meant the world to her. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt.
She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Chris and Tom O’Neil of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; her daughter Deirdre Price of Lancaster, KY; son and daughter-in-law Nathaniel Britton and Pamela Johnson III of Palmyra, VA; her granddaughters and their husbands Kelly and Erik Bleeker of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Kim and Matt Hettich of Loxahatchee, FL; grandsons and their wives Geoffrey and Alexandra Johnson of Alexandria, VA; Travis and Sarah Johnson of Gordonsville, VA; Wade and Virgila Reynolds of Van Buren, AR; her great-grandsons Jack, Bo, Colton and Aaron; Benjamin, Geoffrey Nathaniel, Nathaniel B. Johnson, IV,; her great-granddaughters Kate, Summer, and Ashley; her great-great grandsons Brentley and Oaklan; her great-great granddaughter Addison; her brothers Angelo Radassao of Royal Palm Beach, FL; Raymond Radassao of Lynbrook, NY, and Gildo Radassao of Montrose, NY. niece Jean Radassao of Hardy, VA; nephew Ron Radassao of Clifton Park, NY.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to: Semper Fi & America’s Fund, 825 College Blvd., Suite 102, PMB 609, Oceanside, CA, https://semperfifund.org/ Gifts are tax-deductible, and benefit veterans and their families. When you give online there is an area where you can indicate a donation in memory of Doris. If you mail a donation, you can put a note on the memo line of your check.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on Sunday, November 1, 2020, at the Kraeer-Fairchild Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 4061 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. The funeral service for Doris will commence at 11:00 am on Monday, November 2, 2020, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 4595 Bayview Drive, Fort Lauderdale, where her Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. Burial will take place at 2:00 pm at South Florida National Cemetery on Monday, November 2, 2020.
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Semper Fi & America's Fund715 Broadway Street, , Quantico, VA 22134
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