Mary Dolores Alti

Mary “Dolores” Alti, 76, of St. Joseph passed away Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at Lakeland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at First Presbyterian Church, 475 Green Street, Benton Harbor, officiated by Rev. Laurie Hartzell with burial will follow at North Shore Memory Gardens. Visitation will be held from 9:30 until 10:30 Tuesday, just prior to the service at the church. Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church. Those wishing to sign the Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Dolores was born on September 12, 1934 to Oswald & Marie (Valle) Gilbert in Benton Harbor. She graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1952. On May 22, 1954 Dolores married Robert Thomas Alti at First Presbyterian Church. She was the oldest member and church was a very important part of her life. Dolores was also an elder; sang in the choir and was on the church audit committee. Prior to her marriage Dolores worked for Michigan Bell. Then she worked for several years at the St. Joseph Holiday Inn as the front desk manager. Dolores was also past president of the St. Joseph Lady Elks lodge 541, an avid reader, enjoyed crossword puzzles, her pool and working in her yard tending her plants and flowers. She and Bob enjoyed traveling; taking several trips to Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba and Hawaii. Dolores will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. She is survived by her husband Robert of St. Joseph and a daughter, Nancy Alti, of St. Joseph. Dolores was preceded in death by a son Mark in 1978; her mother Marie in 2011; her father Oswald Gilbert in 1991; a sister Darlene Kiessling in 2010; step-father Guy Puterbaugh in 2002 and step-mother Eunice Gilbert in 2001.