Doreen Eileen Kolling

Doreen Eileen Kolling June 15, 1924 - July 23, 2010 It is with great sadness and a profound sense of loss that we announce the passing of Doreen Kolling on July 23, 2010 at the age of 86 years. Doreen is survived by Jack Kolling, her husband of over sixty five years, daughters Jewel Kolling Basse and Pearl Eng Kolling, sons Grant and Alan Kolling, sons-in-law Ariel Basse and Dana Eng, grandsons Beau Basse, his wife, Christine Le Basse, Matthew and Christopher Kolling, granddaughters Tiffany, Asia, and Erica Eng, Brooke Basse and Claire Kolling. She was deeply loved by all, and in turn she adored and cherished all of the family members, especially the grandchildren whose birthdays she never ever forgot. Doreen was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, the daughter of Choo and Aimee King, and sister to the late George King. During the apartheid era, Doreen worked over eighty hours a week in the family grocery business to ensure that her four children received the basic high school educational opportunities which she herself had been denied. All of her four children subsequently migrated to California, and all obtained advanced educational degrees, three in Law and one in Business Administration. In early 1973, Doreen and her husband Jack finally left South Africa to be reunited with their four children and their growing families in the Bay Area. Throughout her life, Doreen was a kind-hearted and gentle woman, who touched so many people by her overwhelming generosity and thoughtfulness, and who brought laughter to their lives with her wry sense of humor. As she grew older and her need for assistance increased, she would always remember to say "Thank you for everything" in recognition of the smallest gesture undertaken on her behalf. The family is especially grateful to the staff at The Berkshire and the Center for Elders Independence, both in Berkeley, for their assistance in caring for Doreen during the past few years. Thank you, Mom - thank you Poa Poa, for everything you ever did for us. We love you and we all miss you greatly. You will always be in our hearts. A memorial service will be held at a date to be announced later. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, that donations in Doreen Kolling's name be made to The KNL Foundation, which sponsors a number of charitable projects helping impoverished and physically disabled children in Southeast Asia, Their address is: 679 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965.