DELAVAN - Doris R. Rielly (DeLap), beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister, passed away unexpectedly on May 15, 2025, at the age of 79. Born on September 18, 1945, in Delavan, Wisconsin, Doris lived a vibrant life filled with love, warmth, and a passion for family, home, and animals.She graduated from Delavan-Darien High School in 1963. After school, she began her career as an administrative assistant, but her true calling emerged in managing the front offices of various medical practices, where her organizational skills and caring nature truly shone. Doris married her devoted husband, John Rielly, in Delavan, Wisconsin, beginning a 45-year journey together. Their life took them to Las Cruces, NM; Bloomington, MN; Monroe, WI; and Sacramento, CA, before they returned to Delavan to retire—settling on the same street where their love story began decades earlier. Doris had a special gift for decorating her home for every season, with fall holding a particularly special place in her heart. She delighted in blooming mums and orange pumpkins that adorned her front porch each autumn. Her family will see her spirit in every tree as the leaves turn. She found immense joy in watching birds at the feeder outside her front window, often sharing photos of her feathered visitors with family and friends. Her deep love for animals was evident, especially in the devotion she had to her two cherished cats and the schnauzers who were part of her life over the years—several of whom are surely greeting her now with wagging tails in heaven.
Doris is survived by her loving husband, John Rielly; her sister, Jan DeLap; her three children, Joan Anderson (Mike DeSanto), Jessica Anderson-Jameson (Kent Jameson), and Jim O’Brien (Jan O’Brien); her seven grandchildren, Christopher Mettille, John Williams (Taylor Burdett), Alex Sutey (Brennan Sutey), Samantha Anderson, Madison O’Brien, Peyton O’Brien, and Kendall O’Brien; and her three great-grandchildren, Graham Williams, Lottie Williams, and Lachlan Williams.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Nona DeLap, and her sister, Karen Wilson.
Doris’s warmth, kindness, and unwavering love for her family will live on in the hearts of all who knew her. Her memory will be cherished, and her legacy—of surrounding herself with all things beautiful—will continue to inspire.
Service and celebration of life to be announced at a later date.
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