Obituary of Dr. Dolores J. O'Connell

MURRELLS INLET, SC Dr. Dolores J. O’Connell went to be with the Lord on Good Friday April 10, 2020. She was a living at NHC Nursing Home in Murrells Inlet, SC. Funeral services will be held at a later time when it will be safe for everyone to come together to celebrate Dolores life. Dolores was born February 5, 1940 in Queens, NY, to Mary Lockenvitz O’Connell & Edward F. O’Connell. She was raised in Howard Beach, NY and resided for many years in Connecticut before retiring to Ft. Myers, Fl. Eventually, it was best to have her closer to family & she moved to Murrells Inlet, SC. Dolores led a full and spiritual life dedicated to serving others, breaking down barriers, and connecting with people, through her endless love and kindness. She was a member of the Ursuline Sisters for 32 years. She studied prayer, mediation, spirituality and ritual for more than two decades and served her community and friends as a teacher, organist, song leader, pastoral associate, and retreat leader. During this time, she earned her Doctoral Degree in Ministry from Hartford Seminary and was certified in Thanatology, the study of death, dying and bereavement. Later in life, Dolores joined the Episcopal Church and continued to serve and comfort friends and strangers alike from the Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Ct. where she was the Coordinator of Pediatric and Newborn Chaplaincy, bringing hope and peace to countless families for 17 years. She was very active in her community sitting on many boards in New Haven, Madison and Clinton. One of her greatest joys was to be by the water, it could be a babbling brook, a peaceful lake or a day at the beach and if she was with family or friends it just made it that much better. She loved nature and the simple things in life. Preceded in death by her mother, Mary Lockenvitz, father, Edward F. O’Connell, stepdad, Harold Ullrich, brothers, Thomas J. O’Connell, James Ullrich and sister-in-law, Esta O’Connell. She is survived by brother, Robert O’Connell (Floral Park, NY) sisters-in-law, Maureen O’Connell (Pawleys Island, SC) and Jan Ullrich (Westport, Ct) and her loving nieces and nephews Kim Kuperschmidt (Peter), Todd O’Connell (Linda) Col T. J. O’Connell (Katherine), Dan O’Connell (Lizabeth) Matthew Ullrich (Taylor), Joseph Pepin. Dolores loved her great nieces and nephews and was always ready to celebrate with them…Caitlyn, Amber, Melody, Justin, April, Christopher, Hailey, Patrick, Caden, Jack and Baby Aria. In addition, she loved two very special friends, Urban Brewster and Robert Wilkins (Woody) who were just like family to her. Dolores serviced on the board of Dances with Wood, a very special program that is dear to her heart. This incredible organization focuses on healing the spirit of hospitalized children with cancer and other serious illness. If you wish to make a donations in name…contact woody@danceswithwood.org or visit www.danceswithwood.org Due to current CDC Federal guidelines in keeping with public safety standards, the family is holding a private entombment here at Willowbrook Cemetery, 395 Main Street, Westport. Goldfinch Funeral Home, Beach Chapel in South Carolina is in charge of the arrangements.