Dolores Gabriele

Dolores Gabriele (nee Rutz), age 90 of West Milford, died on Friday, January 24, 2025. She grew up in Fort Lee where her family made a name for themselves in the lace and embroidery industry.

Dee, as she was affectionately known, met her husband, Charles, at a local sock-hop. They hit it off from the start and were married soon after. They wasted no time starting a family and soon needed more space for their kids. They moved to West Milford in the 1960’s, which was like a different world from Bergen County. Their kids had room to explore and Dee earned the nickname “copperhead killer.” Rural West Milford came with some unwelcome neighbors, but they were no match for Dee. She was an athlete and a sports fan her whole life. She was an avid tennis player and encouraged her kids in all sorts of sporting activities. Somehow she managed to make it to every game and every practice, and her children are all very grateful for it. Dee’s life was built around her family, and nothing made her more happy. Dee was also a devout Catholic and nurtured her strong faith at St. Joseph RC Church on Germantown Road in West Milford. She was a faithful parishioner there for many years.

Dee is survived by her four children: Charles Gabriele, Jr. and his wife Deb of West Milford, Alexis Roberts and her husband Doug of Hawley, PA, Greg Gabriele and his wife Theresa of Wayne, and Eric Gabriele and his wife Jaimie of Highland Lakes, nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Charles in 2012, after enjoying more than sixty years of marriage together.