Delores Allado

Delores Allado

Dolores Allado, also known to family simply as “Nanny,” died on Feb. 23, 2011 at the age of 94. She was born Feb. 21, 1917, in Berili, Cebu, the Philippines, and became blind during the historic worldwide flu epidemic of 1918, after her family migrated to Hawaii. During her elementary years at a boarding school for deaf and blind children, one of her memories there was reading Braille and reciting a poem for Helen Keller while she toured the school. Years later, Dolores became the first blind student to attend and graduate from the University of Hawaii, paying her way through college with scholarships and by singing professionally. Afterward, she earned a master’s degree in education from Columbia University in New York, where Helen Keller once invited Dolores to dinner. Arriving at Ms. Keller’s home, rain-soaked, Dolores had to wear the famous author and lecturer’s bathrobe while her own wet clothes dried by the fireplace.

In the ’60s, Dolores taught English at Napa High School, being only one of six blind teachers in California at the time who taught in schools for normally sighted students. After retiring from teaching, she joined the Peace Corps at age 65, teaching mothers in Ecuador how to help their blind children live independent lives. She loved exploring the world, traveling to scores of countries and islands on every continent except Antarctica, and enjoyed crocheting and knitting garments, stuffed dolls and animals for her grandchildren, as well as cherished bedspreads for her daughters. She and her husband, Emilio Allado, later retired to Shingle Springs, where Dolores continued living independently for 12 years after Emilio’s death in 1988, ultimately spending her last 11 years with daughter Mini Ferguson in Sacramento.

Nanny, matriarch of a large and ever-growing family, is survived by her six daughters: Diana Younker, Mini Ferguson, Amy Bradley, Pam Allado Revak, Martha McDowell and Priscilla Newton; as well as her sons-in-law, Tom, Billy, Carl, Rudy, Dave and Bob. Grandmother to 15 and great-grandmother to 25, her progeny are as follows: from Diana’s line: grandchildren, Jason, Jeranna and Shirod with great-granchildren, Lillia, Kiana, Annika, Elias, Ezra and K’alea. From Mini’s: “grands,” Shawn, Jamie and Laren with “great-grands,” Celebration, Aaron and Jaden. From Amy’s: granddaughters, Dolores (Lori) and Amy with great-grands, Tim, Andrew, Barret, Mia and Amelia. From Pam’s: grandson, Brandon with great-grands, Kai and Milliana. From Martha’s: grands, Kenrick and Genoa with great-grands, Piper and Miles. And from Priscilla’s: grands, Matthew, Rachel, Alicia and David with great-grands, Jessica, Patrick, Tim, Kihana, Elena, Jack and Lahela, and a 26th great-grandchild due in early May.

For years, Nanny reminded her family to wear happy, bright colors to her funeral when the time came. A celebration of her life, which will be led by her son-in-law the Reverend Dr. Robert Newton, is planned for 11 a.m., Friday, March 11, in Livermore, Calif., at the Montage Clubhouse. Finally, her urn will be lovingly kept in an honored place beside her husband Emilio’s on the beautiful, serene home site of daughter Diana Younker in Coos Bay, Ore.

And as you all know, she was the loving mother of our classmate, Minerva (Mini) Allado. Mini, Please accept our condolances.