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Obituary for Doris Marie Sillars
Sillars, Doris Marie, age 93 of Littleton. A life well lived and loved; from her children's perspective: Born and raised in Hamilton, Ohio, Doris was the eldest of four daughters. She was smart, strong and always loyal to her family. One of her heroes was her Mom, Nellie. 'Mamaw', as she was known to her grandchildren, was loving and kind and taught Doris how to be a wonderful Mom. She met Neil, a dashing Scotsman, whom she married on December 6th, 1941. (Notably, in history, the day before Pearl Harbor.) They worked together at a munitions factory for the war effort. Neil and Doris began their family life in Hamilton, where they had 3 beautiful daughters, Carolyn, Chris and Pam. Doris and Neil were always the adventurous type and soon took their small family out west to settle. They first came to Boulder in 1950, and after a few interim moves, including stints in California and (back to) Ohio, settled in Boulder to raise their family in 1956. During this time they completed their family with two healthy boys, David and Don, and one more girl for good measure, Trish. In 1965, they moved their family to Texas, Seattle, and even across the pond to London, before finally heading back to Boulder once again. Doris was the ultimate Mom. Her loyalty to her family was the glue. She gently guided her children and let us all know that we were loved, no matter what. Neil and Doris were rich in the things that count. Together, they designed and built three wonderful family homes that were our favorite places to be. Doris could be found side by side with Neil constructing the house, while happily raising six children. There wasn't anything Mom couldn't do. But what she did best was family. She made every holiday special. Her favorite was Christmas. Christmas morning was always an abundance. She made sure that each of us felt rich. Richly loved, richly celebrated and richly spoiled. But it was never about money, because we didn't have a lot. Our stockings held oranges and nuts but the way we looked forward to them, you would think they were filled with gold. She loved us greatly and we, in turn, inherited her love of family. Doris and Neil created a legacy that continues in the extended family that still gathers together. Doris also had a career at the Boulder Daily Camera, once her youngest were teenagers. Doris worked hard and made lifelong friends who became part of our extended family. She was a special person to everyone who knew her. When Doris retired, Dad's career took him to downtown Denver where they lived in a high-rise apartment and became urbanites. Mom was always available to all of us by phone, guiding us in our careers and dressing us with all the bargains she found at the big downtown shops such as Denver Dry, May D & F, and Neusteters. When Neil retired, they took off in their Airstream trailer and travelled around the country, visiting family, seeing the sites and finally settling in Arizona. Doris loved Arizona. She delighted in calling her children to report the sunny weather while we experienced blizzards. She and Neil made lots of friends and enjoyed trips to Vegas, going to the horse races and introducing visiting family to the wonders of Trader Joes. Luckily for her family, Mom and Dad returned back to Colorado. We lost Dad in 2006, but we had another 8 years with Mom. For the last 3 years, the Craver family was fortunate to have Doris live with them. Her grandchildren and all their friends knew her as 'Mimaw'. She influenced a new generation of children and touched their lives, as well. Doris was the nucleus of our family, and the family endures because of her. She told us we could be and accomplish anything. She was strict but loyal, taught us that trust and respect was most important and we learned that we never wanted to lose hers. Most importantly, we all knew we were loved. A Mother's Heart is always with her children. Doris leaves behind a huge legacy of family who will always carry her love in their hearts: Carolyn Burns and son, Ken, and great-grandchildren, Anthony, Abigail, Allison and Amber. Chris and Norm Reynolds, and children: Astrid and Paolo; Maria and Craig; and Tony and Jenny. Great-grandchildren: Maya, Colibri, Mae and Lucy. Pam Sillars and children: Lynn; Jan and Lee; and Joy and Shane. Great -grandchildren: Katy and Gillian. David and Carol Sillars and children: Kailyn, Crystal and Jaclyn. Great-grandchild: Aurora. Don and Judy Sillars and children: James; Kyle and Kelsey; and Alaina and Caleb. Trish and John Craver and children: Taylor, Maddie and Grant. Doris is also survived by two sisters, Anna Jane Tremblay and Evelyn Dennett, and numerous nieces and nephews who fondly remember her. She is preceded in death by her husband Neil Sillars. sister Nellie Jones, and son-in-law John Dempsey.
Service: The family will hold a private ceremony, but would like to invite friends to a Celebration of Life, in honor of Doris, at the Craver home on Saturday, September 6th from 5-7pm.
