Joyce Dolinski, 85, of Upper Black Eddy and Ottsville, Pa., lost her battle with severe COVID on Nov. 15, 2022.
Born Aug. 22, 1937 in Norristown, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Harold and Ariaantje (Aalfs) Heck. A beautiful, loving soul, despite the challenges and obstacles that were sometimes endured in life, she maintained a remarkable innocence and kindness through it all.
Raised in beautiful, rural Chester County, she soon distinguished herself as an accomplished ballet dancer, eventually becoming prima ballerina of her ballet troupe. Her talents opened the door for a professional opportunity with a major New York-based ballet company; however, instead, she decided to go to college, wherein she attended and later graduated from Penn State University with a degree in applied art, specializing in interior design with additional emphasis on architectural design. While at Penn State, she was invited into and sang with the very selective Chapel Choir, providing a vehicle for her extraordinary soprano voice. She was later invited to perform at Westminster Abbey, London, England.
An accomplished artist, she painted many stunning works, with particular talent for oil landscapes and waterscapes. In her later years, she worked for Nockamixon Township, enjoying assisting residents with a variety of concerns.
It is her magnificence as a mother, though, that her children most appreciate. Ever the consummate pillar of support, she loved and encouraged her children every day of their lives, giving them the wings to be whatever they wanted to be. Love was her theme, unconditionally and always.
She deeply loved to travel, particularly to Europe and her family homeland of the Netherlands. She keenly enjoyed playing the piano, watching “General Hospital” and “Jeopardy,” and playing board games. She loved crossword puzzles, going out to dinner, and seeing movies. She and her daughter attended every season of the Philadelphia Orchestra for over a decade, serving Joyce’s lifelong appreciation of classical music. Her absolute passion, though, was for all creatures, great and small, with adoration for all living things. She actively filled her life with watching birds and wildlife, saving everything from lady bugs to birds, and even feeding chickadees by hand. Her favorite moments of all, however, were the simple times spent with family, chatting over coffee, or talking over dinner.
She is survived by her son, Dr. Stephen Dolinski (Carole DiGiuseppe) of Jamison and her daughter Dr. Lori Dolinski (Clark Kline) of Ottsville, as well as the family dogs, Beckett and her beloved Angus (who continues to search for her). She was just recently preceded in death by her former husband, Joseph Dolinski, as well as her own dog, Gregor Nial.
We will all sorely miss you, Mommy; you were without question the shining light of our lives and will always be.
Services will be held at a later date. Please check the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home website for updated information (www.fluehr.com) as it becomes available.
In lieu of flowers, please send any contributions in Joyce’s name to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee 27 E Main St, Hohenwald, TN 38462 or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary 5001 Angel Canyon Rd, Kanab, UT 84741.
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