Dolores Irene MacKay

MacKay, Dolores I. Age 92. July 1, 2016. Beloved wife of the late Donald MacKay; loving mother of Terri, Kevin, Keith, and Kristen (D.J.) Cole. Proud grandmother of Christopher MacKay, Sarah, and Conner Cole. Dear sister of Bettye Blair, Sylvia Frawley, the late Bernard Knopick, and the late Kathleen Grambush. Her loving caregiver Jan Morrison had become a beloved and dear friend as well as caregivers Fran Evans and Reena Thomas. Visitation Thursday 2-8 p.m. with a 7 p.m. scripture service at the Wm. Sullivan and Son Funeral Home, 705 W 11 Mile Road (4 blocks E of Woodward), Royal Oak. In state Friday 9:30 a.m. until time of Mass 10 a.m. at National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica Catholic Church, Royal Oak. Dolores was born in Clymer, Pennsylvania. Before Loretta Lynn, she was a coal miner's daughter, growing up in a company-owned mining town, where her father, John Knopick, worked as a miner starting at age 14. In the 30's, the family moved to Flint, Michigan, with the promise of better pay and working conditions in the automotive industry, which sadly, didn't come to pass. After graduating from St. Michael's high school, Dolores worked as a secretary at General Motors where she met Don MacKay, who delivered her mail. They married in 1948 and began a family. As Don's career grew, the family moved several times to Bay City, Michigan, South Bend, Indiana, and finally to Royal Oak in 1961. Within a short time, Dolores became involved in the Shrine of the Little Flower parish community, where she served for many years in the Mothers Guild, and counted the offertory collection weekly for more than 20 years. In addition, she managed the area's Red Cross blood drives for many years. She and Don were both talented bowlers and bridge players and later in life, they took up golf. She was also a very talented seamstress - she and Terri frequently teamed up to create many outfits, sometimes finishing prom dresses with hours to spare before the event. She was very stylish dresser and talented baker - the aroma of her chocolate chip cookies drew dozens of neighbor kids to the house for many years. She and Don enjoyed traveling to Florida, Utah, Hawaii, Japan, St. Croix, Aruba and Phoenix to visit siblings and far-flung children. In addition to her many hobbies, Dolores also enjoyed reading and doing crossword puzzles. Her lovely, warm smile will be missed by all. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Capuchins, 1820 Mt. Elliott Street, Detroit, MI 48207 are appreciated. Share your memories at www.sullivanfuneraldirectors.com.

Dolores Irene MacKay

February 5, 1924 - July 1, 2016