Dolores Del Gross (nee DiBella), formerly of Bala Cynwyd, PA  died peacefully on October 9, 2025.

The youngest child of Carmen and Erina (Louden) DiBella, Dolores was predeceased by her beloved husband, Joseph, earlier this year.

Dolores was a mischievous child, which earned her the nickname "Little Iodine" after the comic strip character of the same name. Her forays into mischief were often assisted by her young uncles, George, Arthur (Duke), and Charles (Ock) Louden, whom she loved dearly and who lived with her and her parents prior to departing for service in WWII.

A gifted pianist and bassist, talented artist, and model student, Dolores graduated in 1959 from Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philadelphia. Following high school she worked for the Philadelphia court system, which she would often say was an education of a different sort!  Dolores married her sweetheart, Joseph, in 1962, and subsequently repurposed her innumerable talents and intelligence to the upbringing and education of her five children.  Later in life, she returned to school, obtained an Associates Degree in paralegal studies, and worked for several years as a paralegal.

Dolores loved her many pets, including numerous adopted cats and kittens and three tropical birds. Following in the footsteps of St. Francis, she also "looked after" the local wildlife, regularly setting out food for birds, squirrels, foxes, opossum, raccoons, and the occasional deer.

Dolores enjoyed traveling with her husband and their friends, and always had amazing stories to tell when they returned from trips, like the time she crossed paths in Russia with a certain (then low-level) Putin.

She was an avid reader and loved puttering about in her garden in Bala Cynwyd. There was almost no plant that she could not identify and she could tell you how not to kill it.

A devoted member of her parish community at St. Matthias Catholic Church for several decades, Dolores served in various capacities, including as a member of the Altar Guild, as an organizer for the annual Christmas Bazaar, as a CCD teacher, and as a church greeter.

Dolores is survived by her five children, Christopher, Laura (John) Lamprecht, Cynthia (John) Castaldi, Claudia Kostel, and Adrienne Sassaman, 13 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her siblings, Marie Schoedler and Russell DiBella.

Relatives and friends are invited on Saturday October 25th,  Visitation from 9:30 to 10:30 AM with Funeral Mass at 10:30 AM at St. Matthias Church, 128 Bryn Mawr Ave., Bala Cynwyd PA 19004.  Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, PA.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to any crisis pregnancy center or no-kill animal shelter of your choosing.