Dolores Mae Odom, 92, passed away on Wednesday, December 31, 2025 at the Autumn Lake Healthcare in Berkeley Heights just three days shy of her 93rd birthday. 

When you live to nearly 93, it is hard to summarize in just one narrative a lifetime full of accomplishments and memories. Born January 3, 1933 to Francis and Dorothy (Mahoney) Carse in Omaha, Nebraska, Dolores spent her childhood living in California and returned to Omaha in her early teens. She entered into the convent and met her lifelong best friend Donna Houfek. During that time she also became friends with a girl named Dorothy Odom who introduced her to her older brother, Kenneth, known as “Slick.” They quickly fell in love, Dolores left the convent, and married Kenneth in 1950. They went on to raise a family having six beautiful children together. Dolores spent years as a housewife and eventually returned to school to earn her certificate to be a dietitian, working at the Good Samaritan Society Nursing Facility in Millard. She volunteered her time working on political campaigns with her uncle throughout Nebraska. She had a large family filled with many aunts, uncles, and cousins that called her “DeeDee or Lori.” She loved to spend time with them, especially her beloved mother-in-law Augusta that she cared for. She spent free days working on arts and crafts, especially with Donna, crocheting and embroidering. She shared her works with all her friends and family- many still have cherished pieces of her art displayed in their homes til this day! 

In her later years she moved to New Jersey to live with her daughter Joan and help raise her two youngest grand-daughters, Taylor and Claudia, who affectionately nicknamed her “Nan”. She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary Post 2636 of Iselin, NJ- serving as president of the organization and enjoyed many trips to Wildwood in the summer with the group and her good friends Ruth, Grace, Louise. She also joined the local bowling league, where she became best friends with Ursula Golden. She was a regular face at Sacred Heart School and Church, being the main pick-up driver for many kids in her golden Hyundai with the fuzzy purple steering wheel. She loved to travel, having visited nearly every single state and even going to Italy in 1996 with Joan and Tina! She enjoyed many trips to the Outer Banks with her family and loved rocking in her favorite rocking chair looking out at the water. She could not survive a day without a sweet treat such as a strawberry milkshake, salt-water taffy, or an oatmeal creme pie. Her smile brought warmth to a room, and her loving and caring nature was admired by many. Though Dolores faced many hardships and losses in her life, she still embraced each day with optimism and full of love and joy. Her deepest love was for her family who she treasured with all of her heart. 

Predeceased by her husband Kenneth, her children Dolores “Punky”, Kenneth, Catherine, Thomas, and James; her siblings Robert, Raymond, Jeannie, and Sandra; her grandson Kenneth Parker; her son-in-law, Mark Aljian; her many cherished friends, and her two favorite cats, Rhapsody and Hazel. 

Surviving is her daughter Joan Odom-Aljian; her grandchildren, Taylor Aljian-Resende and her husband Mason Resende, Claudia Aljian and her boyfriend Philip Silva, Kellie and Kenneth Schaefer and her greatchildren Russell, Brett, Krysten Easter and Kenneth Schaefer and her two great-great-grandsons Alexavier and Liam Easter. 

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 from 5-7pm in the McCriskin – Gustafson

Home For Funerals 2425 Plainfield Ave. South Plainfield, NJ 07080.

The funeral mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 10am at Church of the

Sacred Heart, South Plainfield.

Cremation services will take place privately following mass.