Dolores Quarles

Delores Quarles journey in life began, January 8, 1955 in Charleston, South Carolina to Leon and Phylis E. Quarles.

Following her graduation from Burke High, Charleston, SC in 1973, the next day she left for Washington, DC. With aspirations of moving to the Bahamas she then journeyed to Miami, FL, due to having caviar taste with a cheesecracker budget. Delores settled in Miami where she worked for the City of Miami and secured a townhome and gave birth to her first child. She later returned to Charleston, SC. Her next move was to Los Angeles, CA where she lived for several years. Delores then relocated back to Washington, DC where she held numerous jobs namely, the Hecht Company, Internal Brotherhood of Electrical Local 26 and Chesapeake Ability School.

Delores was a straight shooter and didn’t mind “telling you like it was”! Her favorite way to spend the day was shopping and dining out. The Los Angeles Lakers was her favorite basketball team and her favorite football team was the Washington Football team. Delores enjoyed playing tennis, dancing and traveling (Aruba, Haiti and Bermuda). If she could eat only one food for the rest of her life it would be SEAFOOD.

Affectionately known as “Lores”, she stated her favorite songs were “I’m Coming Up” “because that’s what I’ve been doing all my life; coming up on the rough side of the mountain” and “Someday We’ll Be Together” by Diana Ross & the Supremes. She was most proud of her grandkids and the bond she had with her nieces and nephews. Most important in her life was her reconnection with the Lord. Delores joined Canaan in the 1980’s where she was baptized and was a member of the M. Cecil Mills Ensemble (now the Voices of Canaan). She reinstated her membership with Canaan in April 2020.

She was preceded in death by her parents Leon and Phylis Quarles and siblings Baby Quarles, Barbara Jenkins, Felicia Ned, Al Quarles, LeRoy and Susie Gardner. Delores leaves to cherish her memory two daughters, Africana Thornton (Richmond, VA) and Byronica Quarles; grandchildren Razyia Washington and Joshua Simmons (Charleston, SC); three sisters Dr. Sandra Green (Los Angeles, CA), Lillian Jones (Charleston, SC) and Leola Smith (District Heights, MD); two brothers Leon and Robert (Ernestine) Quarles (Charleston, SC) and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends; longtime friend James Thornton (Africana’s father), Michael Simon (Dedicated Companion), Carol Powers (Caretaker) her Road Dogs and Besties, Peaches Buggs (Washington, DC), Lil Dee (Los Angeles, CA) and Phyllis aka Caprice Andrade (New York via Washington, DC).

Lores will always be remembered as a spirit that LOVED hard and FOUGHT hard!