Dolores Chapa Redfearn

Redfearn Dolores Chapa May 16, 1939 - June 6, 2025 A beloved mother, grandmother, stepmother, sister, aunt, teacher, writer, principal, and treasured friend, passed away peacefully surrounded by love. Born in Texas, Dolores graduated from William Adams High School in Alice, Texas, in 1957. A student and friend to everyone she met, she was honored in the 1960-61 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges while attending Texas Woman's University. Following her passion for education and service, Dolores earned her Texas Teacher Certificate in Speech and Hearing Therapy and devoted her professional life to supporting students with disabilities. She served as principal of a Children's Development Center, where she worked with young students with special needs, helping them and their families navigate education with compassion and expertise. Her love of learning and creativity remained a constant thread throughout her life. She completed advanced studies in acting at the Dallas Theater Center in 1962, bringing both artistry and empathy to her work. A lifelong writer, Dolores earned her Master of Arts in Writing from The Johns Hopkins University in 2003, where she was recognized as an Outstanding Graduate. She also pursued advanced study in fiction writing at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival. Dolores's spiritual life was deeply meaningful to her. She made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in 1999 for her 60th birthday, a journey of profound reflection and faith that shaped her life and community. She is survived by her daughters, Ashley Anne Redfearn and Victoria Redfearn Cave, her stepsons Todd Redfearn and Timothy Redfearn, and her adored grandchildren, Christopher Redfearn, Sebastian Redfearn Cave, Bella Grace Redfearn Cave, and Harmon Rising Rain Redfearn Neswick. She is also lovingly remembered by her granddaughter Harmony Rain Redfearn Neswick, posthumously, as well as by her nieces Valentina Chapa Price and Rosalia Chapa Gomez, her daughter-in-law Stephanie Redfearn, and her sons-in-law Marc Cave and Robert Neswick. Dolores was bilingual and brought a vibrant, creative, and accepting spirit to all she did. She was a champion of others' talents and an encourager of dreams, always celebrating the people around her. Whether through teaching, leading, writing, or friendship, she touched countless lives with her kindness, humor, and unwavering love. A life so beautifully lived deserves to be joyfully remembered. Family and friends will gather to honor Dolores's memory at PELZER FUNERAL HOME, INC., 843-45 South 3rd St., Philadelphia, friends may join a Visitation June 25, 10 A.M.; Memorial 11 A.M. Private memorial for friends at Atria. Virtual Service available for out-of-state family. Memorial donations may be sent to the educational causes of her daughters that Dolores actively supported. Mosaica Children's Choir, American Paradigm Schools, or the Tesla Science Foundation.