Doris Papero Lavelle

Doris Papero Lavelle, 91, of Prince George, VA, passed away on October 9, 2026.

Doris, the eldest child, was born in 1935 to her loving parents, John and Olga. Growing up on a wholesome working family farm, she loved her parents deeply; her mother was an amazing cook and her father a hard-working farmer who absolutely adored her, giving her wonderful examples to look up to from day one. Doris shared the exact same birthday as her mother, and the two were incredibly close, often staying up late into the night talking and laughing. She was raised alongside her younger sister, Carol, and grew up surrounded by a large family of beloved aunts, uncles, and many cousins. Doris did well in high school and loved getting into harmless mischief with her cousins, like the time they banged on the corner neighbor's house with broomsticks until the woman rushed out with a shotgun—a story she still recalled with pride and laughter later in life. She went on to attend Longwood College, which at the time was an all-girls school, where she thoroughly enjoyed her classes and loved playing basketball.

At age 21, Doris married Patrick in a traditional Catholic church wedding, beginning a beautiful partnership captured in classic black-and-white photos. Her parents were incredibly proud of her and absolutely adored Patrick, who loved Doris's parents like his own and was a kind, wonderful, fun, and admirable man. Patrick's job as a corporate chemist and marketer took them across the globe, including a 16-month stay in Australia. Doris often recalled landing there and seeing the Aboriginal people watching from outside the airport fence; she was alone a lot while Patrick worked and felt deeply homesick for the States. In 1964, their lives changed beautifully when Doris and Patrick adopted their son, Craig, at two months old. From that moment forward, she dedicated her life to being a wise, frugal, and wonderful stay-at-home mother. The family enjoyed an idyllic upbringing when the children were young, and there was so much love and joy between all the family members; whenever they would see each other, it was like their spirits jumped inside each other. Doris and her sister Carol put together a magical summer tradition, spending two weeks every single year at a beach house at Lynnhaven Beach, Virginia, eating fresh crab and fish caught right off the pier. The family lived in Virginia for seven years, moved to California for a year, and briefly returned to Virginia before spending six years in New Jersey. In New Jersey, Doris cared for Craig during the week while Patrick worked in New York City. She became a Cub Scout leader and drove Craig to every activity imaginable—music, swimming, karate, and bowling—always emphasizing making her son's life a wonderful dream. It was also during these years that she bought her first muscle car—a 1971 gold, two-door Mercury Cougar. She thought it was really something special and absolutely loved driving that unique, mustard-gold car. It was also in New Jersey that she and Patrick became avid, passionate tennis players and took up golf.

When Craig was twelve and a half, the family moved back to Southern California. Though it was a hard transition at first, they quickly joined a local tennis club, which became their central social hangout. Patrick remained highly successful in business, and Doris took small jobs here and there as Craig became a teenager, including working at a clothing store. Doris always loved hot, sunny weather, which is why she loved California so much; she was happiest being outdoors, loving nature, adoring animals, and experiencing all types of different foods. In her 60s, she and Patrick moved to a beautiful golf community in Palm Desert, California, to continue chasing the sunshine. There, Doris took a job driving a van as a corporate concierge, picking up corporate clients and taking them to events. She absolutely loved this job because she got to meet people from all over the world, hear their stories, and interact with everyone she met. Following Patrick's passing in 2002, Doris stayed in California for three years.

Doris decided to move to Bluffton, South Carolina, near Hilton Head, to enjoy the resort lifestyle and begin making her way back home to Virginia. She met and married Mike, and they shared twelve wonderful years together until his passing. Throughout her time in South Carolina, Doris remained an ageless athlete. She joined a competitive traveling tennis team, riding the bus to different states to play against other teams—something she absolutely loved doing until she was 78 years old. In 2016, almost immediately after Mike passed, Doris made her final move back home to Virginia. Her sister Carol and her family lovingly stepped in to help her move and get beautifully settled into Tinsley Charter, a safe 55+ community in Prince George. Upon returning, Doris immediately reconnected with her deep roots, attending Sacred Heart Catholic Church in New Bohemia—the original church that her great-grandfather and her father had helped to build. She became a fixture at Wednesday and Friday Bible studies and Sunday services. She also instantly started a daily walking routine, becoming affectionately known by everyone in town as "The Walker Lady." She smiled at everyone and loved to stop and chat, especially making sure to visit her cousin's house. The local dry cleaner and his wife absolutely adored her; every time he saw her walking, he would give her a deep, meaningful hug that felt sent directly from God to give her extra love along her path. Doris loved life and was always busy, going out to eat four times a week just to enjoy the car ride and people-watch. She loved running errands, going to the dump, delivering peppers with Craig, shopping for clothes, and walking the grocery store aisles. She deeply loved her sister Carol and her nieces, Sherri and Michelle.

In 2020, Craig moved back from California to live with her. When she broke her pelvis, Craig nursed her back to health and became her dedicated caregiver. Due to subsequent health challenges, she eventually moved into Craig's home just six houses away in the same neighborhood—a blessing they both knew God had directly provided so they could remain close. Even at home, she stayed vibrant and busy. When she could no longer drive in mid-2024, Craig lovingly took her to her Wednesday and Friday Bible studies every week, a service that brought her immense joy. They went out to eat all the time and picked up supplies for the backyard garden and rabbits Craig raised. They also welcomed a dog named KOA, whom Doris loved deeply and who loved her very much in return; KOA was incredibly gentle with her, and Doris loved nothing more than riding along for errands with Craig and KOA by her side. Through it all, Doris remained funny, sweet, silly, forgiving, and an absolute joy to be around. She had a beautiful heart, was entirely full of love, and could become your best friend in just one minute. She was a deeply God-fearing woman who loved Jesus with all her heart, talked about Him constantly, and trusted Him entirely with her soul. After breaking her hip, she passed away peacefully one week later at home, wrapped in comfort and love. 

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at Southlawn Memorial Park, Prince George, VA. The family is being served by the Hopwell Chapel of J.T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home. Condolences may be registered at wwwjtmorriss.com