Doris Bellis

In loving memory of our dear mother, Doris Catherine Bellis, who passed peacefully on December 5, 2022, at the age of 100. Doris was the devoted wife of Ted Bellis and the loving mother of Tedric Lawrence Bellis, Jon Michael Bellis (who predeceased her in 2015), Nancy Karen Bellis, Brian James Bellis, and Robert Joseph Bellis. Doris was also the cherished grandmother of Christopher, Jennifer, Corey, Erin, Michael, Julia, Kristen, and Teddy and the great-grandmother of Kyle, Moira, and Lily. She will be deeply missed by everyone in her extended family and all who knew her.

Doris was a kind and compassionate person who always put the needs of her family and others before her own. She faced challenges in life with courage, grace, and dignity and will always be remembered as someone who made people feel better in her presence. As a devoted Christian, her inner strengths and principles were informed in great measure by her faith. Her humility belied her considerable talents and intellect, which were evident in the things she did - from baking cupcakes for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters during Halloween to conquering the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzles. A woman of her era, she devoted herself to the demanding tasks of raising her five children and instilling in them the values of hard work, academic excellence, and consideration for others.

Born in Brooklyn, New York to Robert and Emma Meyers on October 24, 1922, Doris and her elder sister Evelyn (who predeceased her in 2006), remained extremely close throughout the years. Doris and Evelyn and their respective families shared summers at Sun & Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, NY, and spent all the annual holidays together. Their children remain close to this day.

Doris was with Evelyn and her husband Lawrence Fleischman at the Lake Minnewaska resort in upstate New York when she met Ted Bellis. Doris and Ted were married in 1949 and in 1951 settled in Wantagh, New York, where they raised their five children. After Ted's death in 1991, Doris remained in Wantagh until 2005 when she moved to Dana Point, California.

Doris received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Queens College in New York in 1942 and her Master of Education degree from Hofstra University in 1964. In mid-life, she served as a 1st-grade teacher in the Wantagh, New York public school system in a distinguished career that spanned 37 years, earning numerous awards for her creative and effective teaching methods. Doris retired from teaching at the age of 75. Doris and Ted were strong advocates of education, sports, and music and encouraged their children to do their very best at any challenge they confronted. They took great pride in the fact that all of their children were accepted to and earned degrees from Ivy League Universities with assistance from academic scholarships.

While Doris's family and friends are saddened by her passing, they are profoundly grateful that she lived a full and happy life, positively impacting those fortunate enough to know her. Happy and loving memories of Doris will live in the grateful hearts of her children and grandchildren for the rest of their days.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date to be determined in 2023. As desired and in lieu of flowers, a contribution to one of your favorite charities is welcomed.