Dolores Mae Scopel

Dolores Mae Scopel (Souza), born on July 10, 1930, passed away in Hanford on December 7, 2024, at the age of 94. Dolores was a cherished wife, mother, and Nana with a love for gardening.  She had a love for animals and always had a cat wandering around her house (as well as one very rotund dog). Dolores was born at home to her parents Manuel and Mary Souza. She graduated at age 16 from Hanford High School in 1947. Dolores then got married to Leo Scopel on her 18th birthday in 1948 and they were married for 63 years, until his passing.
If you met Dolores once, you would have immediately learned that she skipped the second grade at Excelsior School (that’s how she graduated at 16) and loved to jitterbug! She even won a contest dancing with her uncle Joe Souza and had the trophy to prove it.  Stay around long enough and she might have even shown you some of her moves. She belonged to the Sons and Daughters of Italy and the Portuguese Fraternal Society of America. 
In lieu of cooking, Dolores loved to go out to eat. She never passed up an opportunity to visit the Imperial Dynasty for her favorite Old Fashioned; where Dolores and Leo were Saturday night regulars, all the way up to the restaurant’s last night open. Dolores would never pass up an invite from her grandkids to go out to their favorite restaurants or an invite from her daughter and son-in-law to go to a festa. Anywhere she went, Dolores was always the life of the party. Her legacy will live on in her children and grandchildren, who love to eat and love to dance.
Her family will remember her love and generosity, her friends and fellow members in Sons and Daughters of Italy will remember her compassion, and her many waiter “boyfriends” at restaurants across town will remember her kindness. 
Dolores is survived by her Daughter and Son in Law Rochelle and Tony Lourenco, Grandchildren Tyler and Chelsea Lourenco, Godchild Marleen Frey, and numerous cousins. The family would like to thank Valley Christian Home for their loving care of Dolores over the last 3 ½ years.
Visitation will be held Thursday Jan 2, from 4pm to 7pm at Whitehurst Funeral Home.  A rosary will be held Friday, Jan 3 at St. Brigid’s Church at 10 am, followed by her funeral at 10:30am.  Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery, following services.  
Any donations in her name can be made to Valley Christian Home- 511 E Malone St Hanford CA, 93230 or the Sons and Daughters of Italy Scholarship Fund in care of Jackie Giacomazzi- 9550 6th Ave Hanford CA, 93230. 

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