Dolores Brown

Dolores M. (Battaglini) Brown, 94, of Vestal and formerly of Owego, passed away on Monday, October 24, 2022. She was born in Endicott on July 1, 1928, to Joseph and Lena Battaglini. Dolores graduated in 1946 from Union-Endicott High School, where she was involved in numerous school activities. While at U-E, she met the love of her life, Richard H. Brown, in ninth grade. Her maternal grandparents, Gregory and Mary Fusco, both Italian immigrants, worked on the domestic staff of Endicott Johnson Corporation owner George F. Johnson. In 1924, her grandparents opened Fusco’s in West Endicott, one of the earliest and most popular Italian restaurants in Broome County. Dolores worked there as a waitress in her younger years. Richard and Dolores married on June 30, 1951, and shared more than 64 years together until his passing in 2016. From 1953 to 2006, the couple lived in Owego, where Richard was a teacher, coach, and administrator for the Owego-Apalachin Central School District and Dolores was a cafeteria supervisor for IBM’s Federal Systems Division in Owego. She was a member of the company’s Quarter Century Club and retired in 1986. At IBM’s Watson Trophy Dinners, she had the privilege of meeting Hall of Fame athletes who spoke at the dinners, including Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer, Larry Csonka, and Mickey Mantle. She was a longtime member of St. Patrick’s Church in Owego. Like her mother, Dolores was an Election Day worker for many years. She was an officer of the Owego Women’s League and a volunteer for the Owego Mothers March on Polio. She actively supported community organizations dedicated to helping people of all ages in times of need. Dolores had a passion for antiques and filled her home in Owego with many unique items from the past. During their retirement years, Richard and Dolores enjoyed winters in Florida and part of their summers on Cape Cod. Dolores was quick with a smile and a friend to all. Her kindness will live on in the memories of those who knew her. Her family will miss her beyond measure. Dolores was predeceased by her father in 1937 and her mother in 1994. She was predeceased by her brother John Battaglini in 1991 and her brother Mario Battaglini in 2021. Her Uncle Mike Battaglini, who helped raise her and her siblings after the sudden loss of their father, passed away in 2000. She is survived by three children and their spouses: Roger and Suzanne Brown, Cynthia and Joseph Walker, and Kyle and Patricia Brown; four grandchildren: Kristen (Chad) Reinemann, Michael Walker, Patrick Walker, and Elizabeth Brown; and two great-grandchildren: Cooper Reinemann and Kaitlyn Reinemann. She leaves behind many friends and relatives, among them her sister, Norma Bidwell, and her brother, Edward Battaglini.

A funeral mass will be held Saturday, November 5, 2022, at 11 am at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, 701 West Main Street, in Endicott. Before the mass, the family will receive friends and relatives beginning at 10 am. A private burial will be at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Owego.
Donations may be made in Dolores’s name to the Tioga County Rural Ministry (tcrm.org) or the Tioga County Open Door Mission (theopendoormission.com). Condolences can be shared at allenmemorial.com.