Dolan, Mary Mercedes Walsh

Mary Mercedes Walsh Dolan, 93, of Cedar Rapids, died Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, at the Northbrook Manor Care Center, Cedar Rapids. Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at All Saints Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids. Mercedes' nephew, Father Patrick Walsh, will officiate with private family burial at Saint Patrick Catholic Cemetery in Dougherty, Iowa. Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home with a rosary service starting at 5 p.m.

Survivors include her children, John Francis III of Cedar Rapids, Kevin (Deb Frese) of Cedar Rapids, Colleen Buddy (Mark) of Ada, Mich., Quinn of Concord, Calif., Tiernan of Cedar Rapids and Mercedes Ann of Aurora, Colo.

She has 10 grandchildren, Adam, Austin, Ashley, Alexandrea, Meghan, Kellan, Alex, Hannah, Shannon and Abigail.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, John Francis Jr.; and six brothers, Francis, James, John, Charles, Raphael and Earl; and Helen Danforth, her best friend.

Mercedes was born Feb. 10, 1920, in Vail Iowa, the daughter of Alice and JT Walsh. She married John Francis Dolan Jr. on Aug. 18, 1951. She attended Mount Saint Clare College and Creighton University where she received a BA in English and History. She received her Master's Degree in Education from the University of Iowa.

Mercedes devoted her life to education, primarily Special Education. She was an inspiring teacher having devoted 60 years to teaching. She began her career in Mason City, before teaching in Germany. While traveling to Germany, she met her best friend, Helen Danforth. Later, she would be appointed principal of the school in Germany.

She was well known in the Cedar Rapids school system where she started the Special Education program and taught for 25 years. Later she was a professor of education at Mount Mercy University, Coe College and Cornell College. A lifelong learner, Mercedes loved to travel and was an avid quilter and seamstress. She enjoyed knitting baby caps for Mercy Medical Center's Neonatal Center. She gave lovingly and generously to a variety of charitable and volunteer organizations. She loved doing crypto quotes and spending time visiting with her family and friends. She read voraciously and the cookie jar was always full.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Saint Matthew School or Arc of East Central Iowa (Association of Retarded Citizens).

Please leave an online condolence for the family at under Obituaries.

Published in The Gazette Nov. 5, 2013.