Gloria (Dolly) May LaPointe Garrelts, 81, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 12, 2016 at her home in Moody with her beloved family at her side.

Dolly was born on 27 May 1934 in Tupper Lake to Romeo Joseph LaPointe and Leah Mary LaVigne LaPointe.

Except for one year living in Florida, Dolly spent her entire life in Tupper Lake. She graduated from Tupper Lake High School in 1954 and in her year book Dolly listed under “Favorite Pastime” as “Writing to Dick” and under “Prized Possession” she listed “Dick.” That would be her long-time sweetheart Dick Garrelts who had graduated two years earlier from the HGA and was in the U.S. Army serving in Japan. After Dick was discharged and returned home, Dolly and her soldier boy were married on 22 May 1955 at St. Alphonsus Church in a double-ring ceremony with her sister Dot and Jack Fuller.

After graduation Dolly worked as a telephone operator for several years at the local office above Maid’s Drug Store before dial phones had arrived in Tupper—she was one who would cheerfully ask “number please” when you picked up the phone. She later worked at the Tupper High School cafeteria and retired from there as the manager. She later helped her husband Dick in operating their Maple Leaf Motel at Moody.

Dick and Dolly started out married life living in town where their five children were born, however in the late-1970s they were finally able to move out to Dick's beloved boyhood Garrelts family home in Moody where they enjoyed their remaining years together.

Dolly was a very friendly social person, and not only did she know everybody in town, she knew all of their relatives and their genealogies. She was like an early version of of your cell phone “Suri”, being able to answer everyone’s questions about names and family relationships, where they lived and their pets names. She always spoke to everyone when she shopped or saw them on the street—a "quick" trip with her to Shaheen's to pick up just a few items could take a couple hours. She loved to visit and when at home Dolly always had some hot tea brewing, ready for a visit. Dolly was a cheerful and good friend to everyone, a great wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend--she will be missed by many.

Dolly was predeceased by her husband of 59 years Dick Garrelts in 2014, father Romeo in 1940, mother Leah in 1991, infant brother in 1927, sister Shirley in 1931, brother Roger in 1968, sister Margaret Robillard in 2015, sister Dorothy Fuller in 2015, and step-father Daniel LeFevbre in 1976.

Survivors include: her children Karla (Gary) Delair, Karen (Tom) Brunette, Kirsten Garrelts, Kurt Garrelts & Judy Shumway, Kelli (Reggi) Bishop; grandchildren; Rileigh McEttrick, Kyle (Laura) Delair, Nikole Delair & Alan Slowick, Scott Brunette, Nick (Kelly) Brunette, Kristopher (Renee) Brunette, Nina Dattola & Brandon Daniel, Dominic (Ashley) Dattola, Kelsey Hamilton & Mitchell Reid, Mark Garrelts, Taylor Garrelts, Ariana & Alexandra Bishop; great-grandchildren Brisa, Greta, Grady & Emmie Brunette, Roo & Mekey Delair, Maya Reid, Amelia Daniel, & Daniel Dattola II.
Also surviving are: one sister, Theresa (Tootsie) & Dick Sabin, brother Dean (Kathy) LeFevbre, brother-in-law Jack Fuller, sister-in-law Rita Garrelts, brothers and sisters-in-law Norman and Shirley Garrelts, Denis and Mickey Garrelts, and many cousins, nieces, nephews and half or Tupper Lake.

A special thanks to her caregivers who brought comfort to her for the last few years of her life; Dr. Elizabeth Buck, Theresa Denis, Rose Mary Mangan, Lee Ann Sala and Sue Dechene.
Calling hours are scheduled for Friday, February 19 from 5p.m. to 8 p.m. at Stuart-Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Tupper Lake. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday at 10:00 am. at St. Alphonsus church. Burial will be in the spring at St. Alphonsus Parish Cemetery in the Garrelts family plot.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make memorial contributions are asked to please consider

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
the Tupper Lake Rescue Squad, or St. Jude's children hospital.

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