Dolores E. (Decker) Ribarchik

   Dolores Eileen Ribarchik, 93, of Collomsville, Penn., and formerly of Levittown, Penn., passed away on November 27th, 2020. Born in Atlantic City September 28th, 1927, she was the daughter of Dorothy Cline Decker and George Decker. There she enjoyed the shore and life along the boardwalk. As a teenager, she left high school to work during World War II. She moved to Philadelphia and was employed by Bell Telephone before meeting her future husband on a blind date.  She married Army MSG Michael J. Ribarchik on April 19th, 1952 and faithfully raised their seven children. She lost the love of her life in 1999.

   Dolores is preceded in death by her beloved daughter Lori Custer and two adored grandchildren, James Dieter and Daniel Custer. She is survived by six children: Sandra (Gary) Kyle of Jersey Shore, Michele (Brice) DeMuro of Croydon, John Ribarchik of Bristol, Michael (Darlene) Ribarchik of Levittown, Judith (Wayne) Miller of Farmington, NY, Andrew Ribarchik of Fairless Hills, and Lori’s widowed husband, Charles Custer of Croydon. Her legacy continues in sixteen surviving grandchildren, twenty-four great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.

   Dolores was known as “Grandmom” by many, regardless of relationship. She fervently and proudly loved her family. Her sharp humor and ability to laugh at herself made her easy company. She relayed childhood stories of tap dancing on the pier in Atlantic City and trying to pass a bloated fish off as a fresh catch. Her large family of nine proved an amalgam of joy, struggle, and maddening chaos that she regarded warmly in old age.  Her love for her husband never faded, even though death separated them for two decades.

   During retirement, she and Mike enjoyed fishing, gardening, and traveling together. They laughed like children after a thorough soaking on a log flume at Busch Gardens. She was always eager to visit with her grandchildren and frequently treated them to a day at the lake or amusement parks. A woman of true Jersey grit and Philly tenacity, she was known to enjoy a cold beer and salty pretzels on a summer evening.

   She was a beloved sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She will be missed by all, especially by her canine companion, Lily.

   In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Dolores’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

   A celebration of her life shall be planned for friends and family at a later date.

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