After a blessed life, Dolores Ewan, 94, of Millville, N.J., passed away on August 14, 2025. Born in Burlington, N.J., in 1931, the second and only surviving child of Italian immigrants Julius and Lena, she quickly grew up to be the leader of a large brood of younger cousins, several of whom survive her today.

As a teenager, her parents moved her to Millville, where she became a 1948 graduate of Millville Senior High School. While in her senior year there, she met fellow senior Harry A. Ewan, who had just returned to complete his degree after serving more than four years in the U.S. Navy in WWII's Pacific theatre. Dolores and Harry married in 1949 with their large families and multiple life-long friends in attendance. The couple was soon blessed with three children: Connie Barber and Cindi Gant of Millville, and Harry J. Ewan of New York, N.Y.

Dolores and Harry enjoyed a storied marriage of 68 years, lasting until Harry's passing in 2017. Both children of the Depression, together they navigated the post-War boom and social and economic turbulence of the 60s, 70s and beyond, Dolores working in the insurance industry and, later, as an administrative assistant for a private medical practice in Millville, and Harry working in construction, notably as an operating engineer on the N.J. Turnpike. They provided their children with countless vacations and family trips up and down the East Coast, as well as the Midwest, upstate New York, and Canada. The couple were avid Saturday night ballroom dancers. They traveled to the 1964 New York World's Fair, visited Puerto Rico, RVed and played golf throughout the contiguous US, visited several historical sites and National Parks, and wintered in south Florida in their golden years.

Dolores was a longtime congregant of the First Presbyterian Church of Millville. She enjoyed music, especially the classic American songbooks of the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, as well as classic and contemporary Broadway musical theatre. For those who knew her, it would be remiss not to mention her ardent Frank Sinatra fandom. Up through the 2000s, she accompanied her children, grandchildren, and many friends to concerts, plays, games, and various exhibitions across New Jersey, as well as in Philadelphia and New York City. It would be equally remiss not to mention her raucous and staunch support for Philly-based pro sports franchises, the Eagles, the Phillies, and her beloved Flyers.

Nor did Dolores shy away from embracing the digital age. She garnered an online following of several thousands and had Tweets that went viral. She was an advocate for fairness, justice and democracy, and had her commentary published by The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post. At 75, Dolores toured Italy and visited Switzerland with her cherished cousin, MaryAnn, and met her son Harry in Rome on the same trip. But Dolores was perhaps best known for her love of food and dining, especially Italian-American cuisine and seafood. Her mother Lena passed down to her a family recipe for red pasta sauce with crabs which has since been passed down to her children and grandchildren. Her kitchen table was the setting for fabled holiday celebrations, but also for her regular Saturday morning family coffee gatherings which were a bonding tradition in her family.

Above all, Dolores loved her children and their families and was beloved by each of them. She was the sun that provided us smooth orbits, the North Star that set our courses, and the moral compass by which to navigate them. In addition to her children Connie, Cindi, and Harry J., Dolores is survived by their respective spouses, Robert Barber, Edward Gant, and Christopher Lavely. She is also survived by her five adored grandchildren and their spouses, and her six precious great grandchildren: Robert and Roberta Barber of Franklinville and their children Dominick, Benjamin and Charles; Graham and Stacy Gant of Millville and their children Lorelei and Finnan; Rachel Barber and fiancé David Ilaria of Cherry Hill; Amy Gant and her son Derek Gant of Millville; and Kelly Barber of Somerdale. She is also survived by many cousins, including MaryAnn Betz of Virginia, Lana Stevens of Burlington County, and Shirley Vanarsdale of Florida, as well as a host of close friends. For each of us, Dolores leaves behind not simply an unfillable void, but also a lasting legacy of love. Among her family, she'll be most remembered for her beautiful smile, her infectious laughter, and her mischievous smirk whenever we razzed her and she flipped us off.

She will be missed immeasurably.

Services were handled privately. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dolores Ewan's name to her favorite charities: Chef José Andrés' World Central Kitchen (https://www.wck.org), Feeding America (https://give.feedingamerica.org), Habitat for Humanity (https://secure.habitat.org), The Leukemia Foundation (www.givenow.lls.org), or BAYADA Home Health Care (https://bayada.com/support).