Dolores Hope

Dolores Hope, DC*SG (née DeFina; May 27, 1909 – September 19, 2011) was an American singer, entertainer, philanthropist and wife/widow of American actor and comedian Bob Hope.

Dolores Hope

DC*SG
Dolores Hope on Capitol Hill, as her husband, Bob Hope, receives an award
Born
Dolores L. DeFina

(1909-05-27)May 27, 1909
New York, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 19, 2011(2011-09-19) (aged 102)
Toluca Lake, California, U.S.
Burial placeSan Fernando Mission, Mission Hills, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesDolores Reade
OccupationSinger, philanthropist
Years active1929–2011
Spouse(s)
​
(
m. 1934; died 2003)
Children4

Early life and career

She was born Dolores L. DeFina on May 27, 1909,[1] in Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood of Italian and Irish descent, and was raised in The Bronx. After the death of her bartender father, Jack DeFina, in 1925, she and her younger sister, Mildred, were raised in the Bronx by their mother, Theresa DeFina (1890–1977), who worked as a saleslady in a drygoods store.[1][2]

During the 1930s, after working as a model, DeFina began her professional singing career, adopting the name Dolores Reade on the advice of her agent.[3] On October 26, 1933, she appeared as vocalist on two Joe Venuti & his Orchestra recordings of 'Heat Wave" and "Easter Parade". (It was issued on Banner 32879, Melotone M-12828, Canadian Melotone 91649, Oriole 2783, Perfect 15838, Romeo 2156, and "Heat Wave" was also issued on British Decca F-5202.) In 1933, after appearing at the Vogue Club, a Manhattan nightclub, Reade was introduced to Bob Hope. The couple reportedly were married on February 19, 1934, in Erie, Pennsylvania.[4] They later adopted four children from The Cradle in Evanston, Illinois: Eleanora, Linda, William (Kelly), and Anthony (d. 2004). "She was a woman of her words and a fine singer. Bob and Dolores were the talk of many people back in those holy days," says a friend, Malory Thorn. She and Bob celebrated their birthdays on May 28 every year – splitting the difference between their respective real birthdays.

From left to right: Spiro and Judy Agnew, Bob and Dolores Hope, Richard and Pat Nixon, Nancy and Ronald Reagan during a campaign stop for the Nixon-Agnew ticket in California, 1971

In the 1940s, Dolores began helping her husband on his tours entertaining U.S. troops overseas and she would continue to do so for over 50 years. In 1990, she was the only female entertainer allowed to perform in Saudi Arabia.

At age 83, she recorded her first compact disc, Dolores Hope: Now and Then. She followed this with three additional albums and also recorded a Christmas CD with Bob entitled Hopes for the Holidays.[5][6][7]

Later years

Hope was an Honorary Board Member of the humanitarian organization Wings of Hope. On May 29, 2003, Dolores was at her husband's side as he celebrated his 100th birthday; he died two months later on July 27, 2003. They had been married for 69 years, which at the time was the longest Hollywood marriage on record.[8][9] The following year, Bob and Dolores' younger son, Anthony Hope, died at the age of 63. He was father to two of the Hope grandchildren, Miranda of Washington and Zachary of Santa Monica.[10]

On October 21, 2008, at 99, she was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California, after suffering a suspected stroke. Her publicist released a statement indicating that she spent less than four hours at the hospital where she underwent routine testing.[11]

In 2009, Dolores Hope became a centenarian; her birthday was featured on The Today Show, with her elder son saying in an ABC interview, "I think of her as love."[12]

On May 29, 2010, she was quoted as saying to local press, of her 101st birthday, "I'm still recovering from my 100th birthday bash, so I'm going to keep this year's celebration much quieter." On May 27, 2011, she celebrated her 102nd birthday at her California residence.

Death
Bob and Dolores Hope's graves at the Bob Hope Memorial Garden at the San Fernando Mission

She died of natural causes at her home in Toluca Lake, California, on September 19, 2011.[1] She had been in relatively good health until a few months before her death.[13]

Honors

Dolores received numerous honors during her lifetime.

Religious

Secular

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References
  1. Gates, Anita (September 19, 2011). "Dolores Hope, Bob Hope's Widow, Dies at 102". The New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  2. Mother's profession and sister's name from 1930 U. S. Federal Census, accessed on ancestry.com on September 20, 2011
  3. Occupation as model cited in 1930 U. S. Federal Census, accessed on ancestry.com on September 20, 2011
  4. Reportedly best, since no published source agrees the exact day or has uncovered a marriage certificate. What is known is that he married his vaudeville partner Grace Louise Troxell in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1933, but no divorce papers have been located either.
  5. "Nick Perito Obituary". Variety. August 16, 2005. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  6. Thomas, Bob (June 8, 1997). "Dolores Hope renews singing career with 3rd album". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  7. DiCostanzo, Frank (November 15, 1997). Drive Shifts To High Gear To Reach Military, Over-50 Crowd With Dolores Hope Album. Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
  8. "Bob Hope dead at 100" July 29, 2003, CNN Archived March 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Hope Remembered as Patriot, Humanitarian". Telegraph Herald (August 1, 2003)
  10. "Anthony J. Hope, 63, Head Of Panel and Bob Hope's Son" The New York Times. July 2, 2004.
  11. Report on Dolores Hope's health scare in 2008
  12. "Dolores Hope Celebrates Her 100th" Archived June 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine KABC Los Angeles. May 28, 2009.
  13. Dolores Hope Passes Away Archived October 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  14. Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated
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