Doreen Whitley

Muriel Doreen Whitley, age 69, of East Kingston, New Hampshire, died on August 4, 2025.
Born on July 3, 1956 and affectionately known as Doreen, she was the third child of Roberdell Smith Whitley and Muriel Ruth (Goudey) Whitley.
Born and raised in Stoneham, Massachusetts, Doreen began her life in a way that would surprise many who knew her later - as an extremely shy child who could often be found hiding behind her mother's skirt. With strawberry blonde ringlets, blue eyes, and a dusting of freckles, she was often told she resembled the Sunbeam Bread girl. She had a wonderful childhood growing up on Beacon Street, where she had many close friends and neighbors with whom she remained in contact throughout her life. Like her mother, she inherited a love of dolls and playthings, citing her best gift as the year she received a cardboard Barbie Dream House (which she passed on to her own children and remains in the family, an inheritance that few others can claim).
After graduating from Stoneham High School in 1974, Doreen forged her own path. Not sure what she wanted to do with her life, she decided to forgo college and start her career doing something she was truly passionate about - serving people with a smile. She worked a variety of waitressing and catering jobs (including one of her favorites with her beloved mentor Ruthie Slater for Harvest Catering Company) before starting a long career at the 99 Restaurants, where she served at a variety of locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
In 1984, she married Paul Scalera of Woburn, Massachusetts. While their marriage ended after 30 years, this relationship brought her two of her greatest joys in life, her daughters, Lindsay and Rebecca. While she was often told that her children barely resembled her, she would reply, "That's okay, they have my personality." Doreen encompassed many of the qualities of a perfect 1950s mom (she had a quote from June Cleaver taped upon one of her cabinets in the kitchen), combined with a zest for life as well as a fierce independent streak. She was endlessly creative, always dreaming up new ideas and trying out new hobbies (most recently, she dreamed of hosting her own podcast centered around senior citizens and their zany adventures and experiences).
After moving to New Hampshire in 1987, they spent the majority of their lives in Derry, where they purchased a (slightly) unfinished new build on Settlers Lane that served their family for more than two decades. As they finished the house room by room, this home grew to be the central location for a variety of gatherings for their friends and their children, hosting everything from Pinterest-worthy themed gatherings (before that was even a thing) to pre-prom photo meetups to an epic post-Thanksgiving dessert party with one of her signature homemade Jeopardy games (which she even took on the road to bolster any celebration in need of a little friendly fun competition, complete with candy rewards). Doreen made what could have been an ordinary Garrison-style house into a home, decorating each room with a little country flair, accented with collectibles from her childhood to yard sales finds, and of course, her beloved Cat's Meow Village houses (many of which displayed historic sites from Derry).
In the late 1990s, while working as a waitress, she started her own in-home catering business, "From My Kitchen, to Your Table," serving many working local families, especially educators. Her feeling was that anyone should be able to come home after working a long day and still enjoy a "home-cooked" meal, even if you weren't the one cooking it in your own home. She spent her days whipping up traditional comfort meals, such as chicken pot pie, lasagna, and casseroles, preparing them in aluminum tins marked with her signature bubble handwriting, which explained the reheating instructions scrawled across the top. Through this endeavor, she was able to help provide for her family while also always being there for school pickup, as she was often delivering her dishes to the very schools her children went to (and only mildly embarrassing them in the process when she made them help carry the meals in from the car).
Doreen was the epitome of the perfect PTA mom, one who was consistently supportive of her children and their interests. When Lindsay began performing in plays, she signed up to run the concession stand during performances. When Rebecca entered the pageant scene, she proudly showed off her face emblazoned on buttons and signs in the audience at every appearance. Her dedication to her kids (and their friends, who she welcomed as family) helped them to thrive in a variety of endeavors, which she would recount to anyone who would listen (whether in-person or on the internet - as the saying goes, "tele-phone, tell-a-friend, tell Doreen").
Her memory was unmatched, and she could remember minute details at the drop of a hat, whether it was a detail from her childhood or a line from one of her favorite episodes of Will & Grace. She was the family historian, a keeper of memories both physical and otherwise - in fact, many of her friends remarked that Doreen knew more of their family's backstory than they did themselves, and folks far and wide came to her for fact-checking purposes.
Doreen continued to work in many service-related roles throughout her life, all with a common thread of cooking and feeding people. She served everyone from a fraternity at UNH to kids at summer camp, with her most recent experience working alongside her friends at OnePath, a company in which she never totally understood what they did but happily spent her weeks planning themed lunches, celebrating everyone's birthdays whether they wanted to or not, and maintaining an "open kitchen" policy where anyone could come to her at any time to talk, complain, or make a special request.
In 2020, Doreen achieved her greatest role yet: becoming a grandmother. After all, she already looked the part once she began embracing her "silver" hair, and now all she needed was the children to make it official. After only knowing life as a girl mom, she was pleasantly surprised to be blessed with three boy grandbabies in a row: Nico (5), Freddy (3), and Beau (1), before finally getting a new member of the family to inherit her beloved Barbie Dream House - a little redheaded girl named Sutton (1). From then on, she spent much of her "retirement" babysitting for her beloved grandkids, whose love for their Didi knows no bounds. Never to arrive without an item from the "archives" (i.e. her massive toy collection) or a delicious baked good (like her iconic blueberry muffins or perfectly soft chocolate chip cookies), Didi's boys (+Sutton) will be eternally reminded of the complete and utter unconditional love she had for them.
She was predeceased by her loving parents, Roberdell and Muriel Whitley, her dear aunt Priscilla and her uncle Don Fullerton, and her best friend of many years, Kathy Howe. She is survived by her beloved children Lindsay and Rebecca and her "sons-in-like" Steven and Fred, as well as her sweet grandchildren Nico, Freddy, Beau, and Sutton; as well as her brother Mark Whitley and his wife Barbara, her sister Nancy Burns and her husband David; her cherished nieces and nephews; her caring cousins and great nieces and nephews; as well as a fierce sisterhood of best friends, including Shelly, Mary Jo, Lorraine, Nancy, Ann, and many, many more.
A celebration of Doreen's life has been planned for Friday, October 24, at 2 P.M. at the First Congregational Church in Stoneham, MA, her childhood parish. It will also be available via livestream for those who are unable to join in person on the church's YouTube channel. Guests are encouraged not to wear black (as we will truly be celebrating Doreen and her colorful outlook on life), and instead to don some of Doreen's favorite things: jewel tones, florals, and statement earrings. Given her affinity for party planning, attendees are invited to gather immediately following the service at the Prince Pizza House in Saugus, MA, one of Doreen's lifelong "happy places." A private burial will take place at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, Doreen's family encourages you to find small moments to live like she did - spread joy, no matter the circumstance; check in with a friend and enjoy a good laugh; drop a meal off to someone who needs it; press your luck by entering a contest or sweepstakes; or make something with your own hands instead of buying it online. Her family would also greatly appreciate if you would share your favorite memories of Doreen via the comment section of this website, in an effort to preserve the many stories of her full and beautiful life. Whether it be a favorite dish that she made or a moment that made you feel special, please share so that others can continue to enjoy her joyful spirit.