Dolores Ann (Sandusky) Soxman Brooks

Dolores Ann Sandusky Soxman Brooks passed away peacefully November 19, 2018.  Fondly nicknamed ‘Sandy’ for the beautiful color of her hair, she was the seventh of ten children, born to Paul C. and Estella Rice Sandusky on February 27, 1930.   She was a 1947 graduate of the Connellsville High School and a 1951 graduate of the Mercy Hospital – School of Nursing.  She was Lutheran by faith and a member of the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church.   Dolores was a life-long resident of Connellsville, until moving to Woodcrest Senior Living Community in Scottdale. Her family sincerely thanks the staff and residents of both Scottdale Manor Rehabilitation Center and the Woodcrest Senior Living Community for their care and kindness.  Dolores was loved and will be dearly missed for her sharp humor, robust laugh, tenacity, classic elegance, warmth and devoted heart. The lives of her family members, both by birth and by marriage, were enriched by having known Dolores.  Her many friends and family (more than can be named here) cherish the time they shared and hold dear the memories made with this remarkable woman. She lived a full life, with unwavering grace guided by her faith and the following poem by Max Ehrmann (Copyright 1952):

 

Desiderata

 

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

And remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

Be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

And listen to others,

even the dull and ignorant;

they too have their story.

 

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

They are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself to others,

You may become vain and bitter;

For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

 

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

It is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

 

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

For in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

It is as perennial as the grass.

 

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

 

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

 

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

In the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

 

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be careful.

Strive to be happy. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dolores Ann (Sandusky) Soxman Brooks, please visit our floral store.