Dolores Caldwell Roark

Dolores Caldwell Roark, age 83, of New Castle, DE, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 10, 2013. Born in Newark, New Jersey on October 26, 1930, Dolores was the second oldest of ten children of the late William Hester Caldwell and Lucy Lois Hobbs. Her nurturing instincts were apparent early in life, as she eagerly helped tend to her siblings in their younger years. She married her late husband, Jonathan, on August 13, 1949 and the couple soon moved to Delaware settling in the New Castle area. The support Dolores gave to her siblings during her adolescent years was a catalyst to her professional calling as a nurse. She later enrolled at the Delaware Technical and Community College where she earned her nursing degree in 1977. She made her career as a licensed practical nurse at the Delaware State Hospital in New Castle, where she diligently cared for her patients with kindness and compassion. She enjoyed creative endeavors, including writing poems, painting, crocheting and ceramics. The fruits of her labors are found in the homes of her family and friends and adorn their Christmas trees. Dolores was a firm believer in the role that education played in a young person’s success, and shared this passion by becoming an active volunteer with the Read Aloud program. Above all else, she will be remembered as a gentle and kind woman, who was happiest caring for others. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jonathan W. Roark, who passed away in 1967, her son, Jonathan W. Roark, Jr.; 3 brothers, Billy, Howard, and Jackie Caldwell; and 3 sisters, Dorothy Carrigan, Joyce Fuzia, and Selma Fasano. Dolores is survived by her daughters, Rhonda Roark Janeka and Alison Roark Brayfield (David) all of Newark, DE; sisters, Jeanette Browarski, Barbara Bailes, and Jean Hurd; 7 grandchildren, Thomas, Laurie, Zachary, Julia, Kelly, Shawn, and Emily; and 8 great grandchildren, Dominik, Lorenzo, Analys, Kayla, Joshua, Madeline, Tyler, and Emma Dolores. Friends may call from 5 pm until 7 pm on Tuesday evening, December 17, 2013 at the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 West Park Place, Newark, DE. Funeral services will begin at 7 pm. Interment will be held privately in All Saints Cemetery. Flowers will be appreciated or memorial contributions may be made to Delaware Hospice, 16 Polly Drummond Center, Second Floor, Newark, DE 19711.