Dolores Givens

Dolores Margaret Givens (Horan) December 9, 1932-June 20, 2018.

Dolores Margaret Givens (Horan), 85, passed at her home in Jacksonville, FL, June 20, 2018 with her children by her side. She is survived by her son, Charles; daughter, Angela; son-in-law, Matthew; grandchildren, Patrick, Stephen, and Katy; and sister, Josephine.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles; parents, James and Margaret Horan; sisters, Mary and Margaret; and brothers Robert, Charles, Thomas and James.

Dolores was born in Philadelphia, PA on Dec 9, 1932, the youngest of eight siblings. She graduated from Camden Catholic HS in 1951 and St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing in Philadelphia in 1956.  Her adventurous spirit led her to join the Air Force as a nurse, where she supervised Air Force Hospital operating rooms in Georgia, Texas, Florida and England.

At Warner Robbins Air Force Base in Georgia, she met the love of her life, Charles Givens (Air Force Lt. Col.). They married in 1964 at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, FL. Dolores left the military to start a family and she and Charles moved to Maryland. They built a home in Fallston, MD, living there for 17 years as they raised their children and worked to give them the best.  She enjoyed sewing, cooking, baking, landscaping, and raising her kids and dogs.

From 1976- 1991, Dolores was as an Operating Room nurse at Fallston General Hospital where she made many dear, lifelong friends. She went on to specialize in eye surgery and helped to establish the Parris- Castoro Eye Center in Bel Air, MD and later worked with Dr. Schnipper at the Jacksonville Eye Center in Florida.

In 1991, Dolores and Charles retired to a lovely neighborhood in Jacksonville, where they enjoyed making new friends, going to the beach, playing bridge, and watching the Orioles and Jaguars. Their time together was cut short when Charles passed away in 1996, after a brief battle with cancer.

Dolores’ grandchildren brought her lots of joy and she loved them dearly.  She loved their visits to Jacksonville when they would go to the beach, collect shells, play games, and chat.  Even though dementia affected her later years, she continued to give wisdom, encouragement, comfort and joy to her children, grandchildren and friends.  During a short final battle with cancer, she displayed amazing strength, cheerfulness and gratitude, often saying how lucky and blessed she had been.

We will miss you. Charitable donations can be made in Dolores’ name to: Community Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation 4266 Sunbeam Road Jacksonville, FL 32257.