Dolores Elizabeth Charvet

Dolores was born on April 2, 1947, to Pete and Tonie Tabares in their home, the oldest of six children. Dolores attended Sunnyside School and graduated with the Class of 1966. After graduation, she worked at Walters Pharmacy for one year. She then worked as a telephone operator for the United Telephone Co. of the Northwest for 10 years. She also worked for the Department of Energy – Top Secret at Hanford, a job she loved.

On August 4, 1973, she married Michael Allen Charvet. She was a hard worker and decided to stay home to help her husband raise hops, asparagus, corn, hay, grapes, and cattle for ten years. She farmed grapes for 43 years, handling all the bookkeeping, running crews, irrigating, hauling asparagus, and doing payroll. This was in addition to her everyday duties of cooking, cleaning, washing, chasing parts, raising a son, yard work, and mowing lawns. She was an excellent cook and loved interior decorating, making her house a warm home.

Dolores' goal in life was to be a good daughter to her parents, who meant the world to her. She was there for them all her life, taking care of them until their passing. She also cared for her husband until he passed away from cancer at home. Her main goal was to be a good mother to her son, teaching him right from wrong and to keep his faith in God forever, always wanting the best for him.

After her husband passed, she continued to farm the family farm. She was a very well-organized businesswoman, managing her finances and staying out of debt. Not many women could have accomplished what she did in her lifetime. Dolores worked as a para-pro for Sunnyside for 17 years and for Mabton School's Inflex program for 8 years. She also worked in Grandview for the Migrant Council, teaching adult education classes for 3 years, and for Prosser School, teaching ESL classes for 4 years. She was also a certified CNA and subbed for the school nurses.

She was an outgoing person with many friends who meant a lot to her; she was a people person. She was also a family person, doing so much to help her family by being there for them. She had to support herself alone and didn't have any help with her finances. Dolores was a beautiful person, inside and out. She had something for her son and her family that money cannot buy: "LOVE." She showed her love for her family in many ways. She was always honest and told it like it is, even if you might not want to hear it. Her motto was, "If people don't like me like I am, they don't have to like me at all. I'm not changing for anyone."

She was proud of her heritage and was bilingual. Her grandparents taught her to be proud to speak both languages. She did everything above and beyond expectations, always helping, donating clothes, food, and "love" to her workers who were in need. She touched so many people in her lifetime; they "never" forgot her.

She loved to travel and did extensive traveling with her husband all over the United States, Mexico, and Hawaii. Dolores was preceded in death by her father, Pete V. Tabares; mother, Tonie Tabares; brother, Pete Tabares Jr.; and her husband, Michael Allen Charvet. She was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Sunnyside and Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Grandview, where she served as president of St. Rose's Guild for 1 year.

She always had her "faith" in God. The one and only person she needed in her life was "God"; she always turned to Him in prayer, and He always gave her strength to guide her through life. Her father was a Hanford worker, like her, and a farmer. She married a farmer, and farming was in her "blood." She loved living in the country and cherished her privacy. She always tried to take time to "smell the roses." She always went out to pray for her loved ones and take flowers to their final resting place. She prayed that her son would take time to pray for her. She truly loved her parents and believed someday she would be with them. She felt her parents were watching down on her and guiding her through her life. Someday, she would be watching down on her son and praying for him until he could come to be with her. She will be truly missed by her family and friends. We will always remember the beautiful person she was. Memories of a mother, sister, friend. Memories are forever. Her home was filled with pictures and special memories.