Dolores Hope

Dolores Hope
Dolores Hope on Capitol Hill, receiving an award for her husband, Bob Hope
Born	Dolores L. DeFina (1909-05-27)May 27, 1909 New York, New York
Died	September 19, 2011(2011-09-19) (aged 102) Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, California
Cause of death	Natural causes
Resting place	San Fernando Mission, Mission Hills, Los Angeles
Occupation	Singer, philanthropist
Years active	1929–2011
Spouse(s)	Bob Hope (1934–2003; his death)
Children	4

Dolores Hope, DC*SG (May 27, 1909 – September 19, 2011) was an American singer, entertainer, philanthropist and wife/widow of American actor and comedian Bob Hope.

She was born Dolores L. DeFina on May 27, 1909 in Manhattan's Harlem neighborhood of Italian and Irish descent, and was raised in The Bronx. After the death of her bartender father, Jack DeFina, in 1925, she and her younger sister, Mildred, were raised in the Bronx by their mother, Theresa DeFina (1890–1977), who worked as a saleslady in a drygoods store.

During the 1930s, after working as a model, DeFina began her professional singing career, adopting the name Dolores Reade on the advice of her agent. On October 26, 1933, she appeared as vocalist on two Joe Venuti & his Orchestra recordings of 'Heat Wave" and "Easter Parade". (It was issued on Banner 32879, Melotone M-12828, Canadian Melotone 91649, Oriole 2783, Perfect 15838, Romeo 2156, and "Heat Wave" was also issued on British Decca F-5202.) In 1933, after appearing at the Vogue Club, a Manhattan nightclub, Reade was introduced to Bob Hope. The couple reportedly were married on February 19, 1934, in Erie, Pennsylvania. They later adopted four children from The Cradle in Evanston, Illinois: Eleanora, Linda, William (Kelly), and Anthony (d. 2004). "She was a woman of her words and a fine singer. Bob and Dolores were the talk of many people back in those holy days," says a friend, Malory Thorn. She and Bob celebrated their birthdays on 28 May every year – splitting the difference between their respective real birthdays.

In the 1940s, Dolores began helping her husband on his tours entertaining U.S. troops overseas and she would continue to do so for over 50 years. In 1990, she was the only female entertainer allowed to perform in Saudi Arabia.

At age 83, she recorded her first compact disc, Dolores Hope: Now and Then. She followed this with three additional albums and also recorded a Christmas CD with Bob entitled Hopes for the Holidays.

Dolores Hope was an Honorary Board Member of the humanitarian organization Wings of Hope. On May 29, 2003, Dolores was at her husband's side as he celebrated his 100th birthday; he died two months later on July 27, 2003. They had been married for 69 years, the longest Hollywood marriage. The following year, Bob and Dolores' older son, Anthony Hope, died at the age of 63. He was father to two of the Hope grandchildren, Miranda of Washington and Zachary of Santa Monica.