Dolores (Dee) Toledano went to be with Jesus in Heaven on Friday October 8, 2021, with her three children by her side at home after a yearlong battle with colon cancer. Dolores Toledano was born on June 13, 1957 in the seaside town of Adra, Spain to Jose Maria and Carmen Toledano. When Dolores was five years old, her family immigrated to the United States, and made Vacaville their home. Dolores spent her childhood enculturating to the American lifestyle, while always holding close her Spanish traditions and roots. In middle school, she met her life-long friend, Joyce Lum a "kindred spirit" who understood what it was like to grow up with different customs, values, and languages. Together, Dee and Joyce faced all the ups and downs of life, as they worked to find their way in the world. Joyce was a wonderful friend to Dee her entire life and someone she could always count on.

Dolores got married and started her family young. The birth of her three children, changed her life for the better and taught her unconditional love, and gave her a true purpose for her life. Her children, Loli, Cristina, and Joseph were her heart. Dolores worked tirelessly to give her children a life full of opportunities, education and happiness. Dolores taught her children the importance of being who God made them to be, loving the Lord, working hard, and always following their dreams. She worked long hours as a waitress at the Coffee Tree and Baker's Square and later was able to pursue her passion for child advocacy and educating teen mothers, through her work as a Family Specialist for a non-profit organization. Dolores had a heart for not only equipping young teenage mothers with skills and resources for succeeding as parents, but also encouraging them in their strengths and interests in order to create lasting bonds with their families and the community.

Dolores adored her two grandchildren, Kekoa, and Malia. Being their "Tutu" was her favorite thing in the world. She was an exceptional cook and loved making authentic, Spanish dishes like paella, tortilla de patata, lomo saltado, and roscillos de vino. She enjoyed teaching her grandchildren her love for cooking by teaching them some of her favorite recipes so that they would be able to continue to cook for the family at Sunday dinner. Dolores started the Sunday dinner tradition as a way of gathering the family together once a week to check in, share life's happenings, laugh, and enjoy delicious food. Time with her children and grandchildren, brought her so much joy and she was their biggest cheerleader, making sure to be at all their school functions and extracurricular activities with a great big smile on her face and pride in her heart. She often spoke to those closest to her of how proud she was of her kids and grandchildren and her face would light up when speaking about what they meant to her.

Dolores had a special bond with her two sisters, Mari Carmen and Trini. They enjoyed long talks about life and family, over a coffee and a pastry and were even able to return to their homeland of Spain two years ago on vacation. This was an extra special trip for them as it was the first time that the three of them were in their hometown of Adra together, since they had left for the states in 1962. Dolores loved sitting on the beach with her sisters and enjoying delicious tapas and "bollos de chocolate". Dolores loved her sisters very much and always wanted only the best for them.

When Dolores wasn't working or spending time with her family, she loved to be in the outdoors. Whether it was sitting at the beach listening to the ocean waves crash on the shore, or hiking in the mountains, she loved the beauty and serenity found in nature. This love for the outdoors inspired her to make her own garden oasis, full of succulents, flowers and hand-crafted bird feeders. She was also an avid reader who loved mysteries and enjoyed learning about holistic remedies and solutions to improving one's emotional and physical health. Dolores loved to work with her hands and could spend hours making unique and lovely artisans such as Victorian ornaments and aprons, wrapping beautiful gifts, decorating her home for the holidays and painting. Dolores was extremely creative and had a gift for taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary. Although she did not have formal training, Dolores had a knack for painting and would paint the most serene landscapes on canvas. She found so much joy in expressing herself through her art and always encouraged others to do the same.

Dolores always felt that she was born in the wrong time period and loved to watch Audrey Hepburn and Doris Day movies, classic television shows like Perry Mason, Murder, She Wrote and Hallmark. She will be remembered for wearing her string of pearls and velvet dress while cooking in the kitchen, her flair for fashionable hats and scarves to which she had one for every occasion, and that absolutely beautiful smile that graced her face each time she was with her loved ones.

Dolores is preceded in death by her father Jose Maria Toledano, and her mother, Carmen Toledano. She is survived by her cherished children, Loli and her fiancé, André; Cristina Eva, and Joseph and his girlfriend, Gabi. Dolores was the adored "Tutu" to Kekoa and Malia and precious sister to Mari Carmen and her husband Emilio; Trini and her husband Robert. She was the loving "Tita" to her nieces Josephine and her husband, Freddy and their children, Marisa, Joey and Daniel, and niece Trini and her husband, Will. Last, but not least, she leaves behind her beloved fur baby, Perry Mason, who was her sweet companion and friend.

Dolores loved living in Spain near the Mediterranean Sea, and her final wish was to be cremated and have her ashes spread over her favorite place, the ocean.

With gratitude in our hearts, we'd like to extend a special thanks to Sutter Hospice. They were a blessing and a gift to our family during a very difficult time. The genuine love and support that Nurse Ying and her team provided was invaluable and our family will be forever grateful.