COLES, Dolores Ann

Dolores Ann Saunders Coles. Celebrating a Phenomenal Woman........ Dolores Ann Saunders Coles was born on March 19, 1933 to Bessie Ruth Rose Saunders and passed on to glory on May 3, 2003. Dolores was a woman of deep and abiding faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Born in Virginia and raised as a child in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she moved to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area as a teenager. In 1950, she graduated at the age of 16 from Homestead High School, married Archie Coles, and became an active member of Second Baptist Church in Homestead. She and Archie raised three remarkable children. In 1965, she joined Pittsburgh National Bank (PNB) as a clerk typist. She quickly rose through the ranks to become the first African American woman in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to become an Officer for a full service bank. PNB selected her to be its Jr. Vice President and Branch Manager of the Homewood Office. She attended Robert Morris College and the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied business. In 1980, she moved to Phoenix, became a member of First New Life Missionary Baptist Church and worked for a time as an accountant and later as a youth counselor. Throughout her life, she was devoted to her family and community. Always active in civic affairs, she was the president for Club 21, a social service and charitable organization in Pittsburgh, a member of the Council of Negro Professional Women and the Urban League Guild. She helped many minority-owned businesses with business development and financing. She was an advocate for youth and the homeless. She volunteered at the Salvation Army and for the local elections office. She was an avid reader and loved to needlepoint. She won blue ribbons at the Arizona State Fair, and a Grand Champion ribbon at the St Mary's County Maryland Fair for her work. She actively participated daily on the prayer line and devoted her life to the encouragement of others to pursue an education. Her life and legacy is celebrated by her husband of 52 years, Archie Coles. Sr., her three children, Charlene Renee Newkirk of Lexington Park, MD (Charles), Archie Coles. Jr. of Phoenix, AZ, and Carole Henry (Booker); five grandchildren; 5 great grandchildren; 14 brothers and sisters, (Edward Carter, Elsie Vaughn, Dorothy White, Pearl Sampson, Richard Saunders, Charles Saunders, Marion Lewis, Paul L. Jr., Norman, Diane Saunders, Roberta Saunders and Barbara Saunders) and an extended family of relatives and friends. She gave us our strength and was our inspiration. We will greatly miss her gentle kindness, and her wisdom. Visitation will be Wednesday, May 7, 2003 6PM- 8PM at the Preston Funeral Home, 3800 S. Central Ave. Services will be Thursday May 8, 2003, 10AM. First New Life Missionary Baptist Church, 1902 E. Roeser Rd. Phoenix. Arrangements entrusted to Preston Funeral Home. Published in the Arizona Republic on 5/6/2003.