Dolores Mandarino

Dolores “Babe” Mandarino, 82, of St. Joseph, went home to be with her Heavenly Father on Wednesday, July 2, 2008, at Lakeland Berrien Center. A Mass of Christian burial will take place at 11:00 AM Tuesday at St. John’s Catholic church, 600 Columbus Benton Harbor; officiated by Father William Jacobs; with burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery. Friends may call from 4:00 to 7:00 PM Monday at the Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd; Rosary said at 6:30 Monday. Memorial gifts may be made to Ss. John & Bernard Parish. Friends wishing to send a condolence may do so at the guest book at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mrs. Mandarino was born on September 20, 1925 in Chicago, Illinois to Michael and Bertha (Kupinski) Pastoria. She married James Mandarino, Sr. on May 19, 1946, at Our Lady of Pompeii in Chicago. Dolores loved sports and was an avid bowler. She was active in the fundraising for Benton Harbor Little League (concession stand), St. John’s Irish & Lake Michigan Catholic Booster (she cheered so loud that everybody knew where she sat), cooked spaghetti dinners for many fundraisers, was a secretary at Columbus School and a cook for Benton Harbor Schools. She loved watching the Cubs. Her passion in life was her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the Lord. She said the rosary and prayed every day. Dolores is survived by her four children, Shirley & John Libs of Helena, Alabama, Terry & Sue( Naylor) Mandarino of Three Rivers, Ron Mandarino of St. Joseph, and . Jim Jr. & Beth( Hanley) Mandarino of St. Joseph; nine grandchildren, Terry Michael & Lisa (Clark) Mandarino of Florida, Chad & Kristy (Wasserman) Mandarino of St. Joseph, Rob & Molly (Fitzgerald) Libs of Indianapolis, IN, Mark Libs of Alabama, Jamie Mandarino & Joe Spitale of Stevensville, Tony & Katie (Ludwig) Mandarino of St. Joseph, Tara (Mandarino) & Will Hackenburg, of Florida, Josh Mandarino, of St. Joseph and Kelly (Mandarino) & Brian Smith of Three Rivers; fourteen great-grandchildren, Callie, Aliyah and Brady Hackenburg, Zach, Sam, Ally and Ava Mandarino, Annie, Lura and John Libs, Mya Smith, Chance Mandarino, Haley Spitale and Alex Mandarino. She was preceded in death by her husband James Mandarino, Sr., her parents Bertha and Michael Pastoria, and a grandson Todd Mandarino.