Dolores Mary (Albanese) Dupré

was born on May 24, 1931, in Providence, Rhode Island, the oldest child of Benedict and Antonetta (DiCenzo) Albanese. Ben and Etta instilled in their daughter a lifelong devotion to God, family, and the value of hard work and helping others.

On June 24, 1949, she met her husband, the late Robert “Bob” Dupré, at the outdoor movies at Adams’ Store, just across from Scarborough Beach in Point Judith, where both families summered. Bob and Dolores courted for five years, driving between Providence College and Salve Regina University, until they married at St. Ann’s Church in Providence on October 16, 1954. Their first dance was to “Forever and Ever,” a sweet prelude to a marriage that would endure for sixty-five years. They lived in Providence and East Greenwich, and retired in Narragansett.

Dolores was a proud Salve graduate and often marched as one of the college’s oldest alumnae. She waited to put her degree in social work and solid business sense to use because of her lifelong desire to be a mother. After her five children were grown and the “baby” went off to college, she took a part-time job at an in-home health services company and soon became a manager. On the eve of her eightieth birthday, reluctantly and to the chagrin of her employer, she retired.

Of the many stars in her crown, Dolores’s generosity shone brightest. She liked to say that “generous people will never be poor” and lived by that maxim, teaching by example to never arrive empty-handed, to understand there was always enough to share, and to take care of the pennies so the dollars would take care of themselves. She was, however, an inveterate shopper, so much so that she once decided to give up Ross-Simons for Lent. Whether you were looking for clothes, jewelry, cars, or houses, Gram was happy to do the footwork and let you know if something was a good buy or not.

She was frugal with herself, but her generosity to others was unparalleled. Her car was a mobile charitable unit that, on any given day, could hold a trunk full of holiday turkeys; bags of new socks, mittens, and gloves; and other useful things for this person, that household. By nature shy and intensely private, she became a fierce Robin Hood when defending others, frequently contacting a well-known judge, for instance, to pardon her employees’ parking tickets, explaining that they overparked while caring for the sick and elderly.

She possessed a keen, authentic interest in others. It was a cornerstone of her faith. People felt seen and heard in her presence. She welcomed the stranger, and fed, clothed, and got to know him or her, too. As one of her grandsons recalled, Gram was the “only person I’ve ever met who could go into a store and come out knowing the full names, birthdays, hobbies, and life milestones of everyone working there.” She was a good friend, loyal to her oldies but goodies, and also made new friends, even at the age of 94. Mary, a new friend at the nursing home, said, “I grieve for you, and I grieve for myself too, for I’ve lost a true friend.”

She prized beauty in all its forms—a good story well told, art of every sort, sleek cars, and, especially, flowering plants. Blessed with a green thumb, she could make anything grow. How fitting she leaves us in a season of extravagant, blossoming color. She herself was an ageless beauty, retaining her elegant appearance until she passed.

She encouraged us to celebrate everything. Birthdays and holidays were a given, but every month held a reason to call everyone around her table. Every meal, every gift, sang the same song: we were expected, we counted, we were loved. She passed away peacefully on May 14, 2025, ten days shy of her 94th birthday; there will be cake.

She will live on in her five children—Cynthia Wilson (Richard Gill), Judith Dupré, B.J. Dupré, Susan Dupré (Jonathan Banks), and Peter Dupré; eight grandchildren— Genevieve (Spencer Lis), Zepheryn (Emily Nalbandian), Chandler (Edward Coady), and Annie Dupré, Brendan and Emmet Gaffney, and Robert Wilson and Lily Benson (Jake)—and four great grandchildren, Serena, Ellery, and Jasper Lis, and Grace Benson. She is survived by her beloved sister, Judy Gartsu, her brother Ben Albanese (Marlene), and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Her funeral will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 8:45am from the NARDOLILLO FUNERAL HOME & Crematory – SOUTH COUNTY CHAPEL, 1111 Boston Neck Road, (Rt. 1A), Narragansett followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10am in St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, Point Judith Road, Narragansett. Burial will be in St. Francis Cemetery, Wakefield. VISITING HOURS Monday from 4-8pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Hope Hospice or the Salve Regina Scholarship Fund.