Dolores (Pereira) Gillen

Dolores Pereira Gillen (known to family as “Lol”) born April 2, 1932, passed away April 19, 2022. She was the youngest and last survivor of eight children born to immigrant parents Carmen (Sanchez) and Joseph Pereira from Spain.  Her siblings were: Carmen Garcia, Anita Sariego, Joseph Pereira, Anthony Pereira, Charles Pereira, Francis Pereira and Mary Ensslen. 

She was married to Thomas J. Gillen, Sr. for 61 years before he passed away in 2012.  They both loved dancing and watching the Phillies.  She was the mother of Thomas J. Gillen Jr., Terry Gillen, Mary (Gillen) Bieter (Walt Bieter), and Lori Gillen (Bill Klein).  She was the grandmother of Elizabeth Gillen Goodchild, Christopher Bieter, Jennifer Bieter, TJ Gillen, Mary K. Gillen, Gwen Klein and Matthew Klein.  She also had seven great-grandchildren: Patrick Bieter, Connor Bieter, Jack Bieter, Charlie Goodchild, Beau Goodchild, Carter Brown and Addie Brown.

Dolores was born in Philadelphia and attended Kensington High School for Girls and eventually settled in Drexel Hill and then Havertown.  She had a career in the record industry, marketing and real estate before retiring, which gave her time to spend with family and friends at her summer home in Sea Isle City.  She spent much of that time with her grandchildren at the beach and enjoying ice cream and the amusement rides.

She loved bowling, reading, travel and playing cards on the computer.  When Lol met anyone the first question she asked was “when is your birthday?” so that she could figure out their horoscope sign. She also had a lifelong interest in politics and worked at her polling place in Havertown.

Logan-Videon Funeral Home, Broomall is entrusted with the care of Dolores.

Donations may be made in her memory to these organizations:

Women Against Abuse

https://www.womenagainstabuse.org/donate

Rock to the Future

https://rocktothefuture.org/get-involved/rttfdonate

Rock to the Future equips Philadelphia youth with life skills to support current and lifelong wellbeing through free, student-driven music programs. Through music, we disrupt cycles of poverty.

Planned Parenthood

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/