Kathleen Maria Dollman (1 Aug 1943 - 4 Mar 2023)

In loving memory of Kathleen Maria Dollman who sadly passed away on 4th March 2023, aged 79 years.

The Dash In-between - The Life of Kathleen Dollman

Kathleen Maria Dollman was born in Bantry, County Cork, Ireland in August 1943, and named Kathleen ‘Kitty’ O’Driscoll; she was the second youngest child of Michael and Bridget and she was to become the sibling to one brother and five sisters.

Kitty was brought up a devout Roman Catholic, a religion she would remain faithful to her whole life, although being taught by nuns during her school years was not the happiest of her memories. Kitty preferred helping her mother, whom she idolised, and who provided a template for her on life and motherhood with faith, duty and humility. Childhood days were made more enjoyable with the company of her younger sister, Jo; together they were known as the 'terrible twins’. We can only imagine….

In later years, Kathleen would tell of how hard she practised her catechism in fear and shame of getting a question wrong when asked by the Bishop during her Confirmation. It was with great relief to her that she knew the answers and was therefore able to demonstrate the depths of her faith.

The late forties and fifties were times of economic hardship in Ireland; many of her elder siblings moved to Essex, England and her father also had to come to England to find work for periods of time. Tragically, when Kitty was sixteen her father died. As a result, the family permanently relocated to Essex.

By the mid-sixties, Kitty, her mother and sisters Peggy and Jo had moved to Brixton, South London. During this time, she undertook many jobs, including being an usherette in a cinema, where she fell in love with films by Doris Day, Rock Hudson and Dean Martin. Kathleen also loved the music of the time, especially when performed by the Batchelors, Cliff Richard, Adam Faith and Dusty Springfield.

Kathleen met John Dollman, and after a whirlwind romance married him at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Brixton, in October 1967. Her first child was born in July 1968, and three more children followed in the next four years. Kathleen once said that becoming a mother gave her life meaning, a sense of accomplishment. The lessons learned from her own mother, who herself played an active role in Kathleen’s early years of motherhood, proved invaluable; raising her family gave Kathleen immense satisfaction, even through difficult times. She often relied on her faith and made sure all her children were baptised and brought up as Roman Catholics.

In 1981, on her own birthday, Kathleen’s darkest day struck: the death of her beloved mother. She would survive her mother by another 42 years, but even to her last days this loss remained painful.
Kathleen continued to nurture her children alongside her husband into adulthood, taking pride in their achievements and supporting them in their difficulties: in 1992 her first grandchild was born, which gave her immense pleasure, and she was as supportive to her daughter as her mother had been to her.
Kathleen had worked her whole life, sometimes with two jobs to support her family, but by the early nineties ramifications from a childhood accident began to cause her problems that would ultimately lead to disability.
Despite this she enjoyed life, with visiting Lourdes being a highlight. With her husband and family, she travelled throughout Europe, North Africa and to visit her children in the United States. She loved live theatre, especially musicals, with Blood Brothers (a musical about family!) Annie and Sister Act being among her favourites.

Of course, the growing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren gave her the biggest source of pleasure, especially as her disability made her more and more house bound. The Catholic Church gave her immense solace, and she enjoyed her visits from Josie and Delia. Her faith remained till the end and in her final days she said she felt Jesus calling to her. She looked forward to being re-united in Heaven with her parents, her brother, Patsy, her three sisters, Mary, Peggy and Helen. Also her God-daughter, Michelle and other family members.

Kathleen died on March 4th 2023 clutching a cross in her hand, with members of her family by her side; she is survived by her husband John, sisters Jo and Monica, her four children, Nikki, Martin, Maria and Diane, thirteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

May She Rest in Peace