01/12/2026
With deep love and sorrow, we announce the passing of Dolores Brothers Truesdale, a beloved mother, wife, grandmother, and friend, who departed this life peacefully on January 9, 2026, surrounded by family and love.
Dolores was born on April 25, 1936, in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, a daughter of the late Clarence Ulysses Brothers and Beatrice Penn Brothers. From the very beginning, she radiated kindness, strength, and grace, qualities she carried throughout her life, touching the hearts of everyone she met. She attended high school in Monongahela and distinguished herself through her exceptional vocal talent. She performed with a regional chorus and the Pennsylvania All-State Chorus and was a solo competitor at the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. As a teenager, she auditioned for and earned a place in Wings Over Jordan, a renowned African American choral ensemble that performed throughout the United States and Europe. At just 17 years old, she was not permitted by her father to travel with the group, as it included older adults. Musical talent and a passion for teaching were deeply rooted in her family. Three of her great- aunts were educators, one of whom was a music teacher, and her grandmother, also a teacher, encouraged her to pursue higher education and a career in teaching. Dolores earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia State University and later received a Master of Education degree from the University of Virginia.
She began her teaching career at the Nelson County Training School in Shipman, a segregated high school, where she taught a broad range of subjects, including music. In 1960, she transferred to Nelson Memorial High School when it opened as Nelson County’s first accredited high school for Black students. There, she taught music history and literature, music appreciation, voice, piano, general music, and directed two concert choral classes. Under her leadership, the concert choirs participated in All-State competitions in the state of Virginia, with six students selected for the All-State Chorus, and her choirs consistently earned first-place ratings at district music festivals. Dolores Truesdale’s concert choirs competed nationally in Georgia, Texas, St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, Canada, New York, and South Carolina, and several of her students earned placement in a concert choir that performed in Europe. Among her All-State students were Harold Bell, Mary Miles, Marvin Oakram, and her son, Michael Truesdale. Her daughter, Sherrise, a mezzo soprano, went on to perform with the Olton Singing Society in Baltimore, Maryland for nine years.
Her impact on students extended far beyond the classroom. Former students of Nelson County High School remember her with deep respect and affection. Joey Davis, a singer and songwriter best known for his song “The Bypass” about Hurricane Camille, recalled, “It was the only class I made A’s and B’s in. We looked forward to it. It was a pleasure. We never had to be scolded. When we sang, nobody acted out. I didn’t know bass from tenor until those classes.” Bennie Dodd, who went on to a professional career in music, shared, “She introduced us to classical music and composers such as Tchaikovsky and Schubert, as well as to symphonies. Jimmy and D.D. Fortune were tenors, so I loved singing bass.” Many of her former students went on to excel as professional musicians and music educators, while others carried forward the discipline, creativity, and work ethic she instilled—skills that proved transferable to success across a wide range of careers.
Dolores spent her career as the Director of Choral Music for Nelson County Public Schools for 33 years. She was a devoted music teacher who taught with compassion, discipline, and remarkable tenacity. Guided by a deep love for children, she nurtured musical excellence as well as confidence, character, and a lifelong love of learning.
Beyond her professional career, she lived a life marked by faith, service, and family. By 1995, the Truesdales had lovingly opened their home to 15 foster children. In 1998, they founded an AME Zion Church near their home in Shipman, where Curtis Sr. faithfully served as a minister and Mrs. Truesdale directed the church’s music program. Throughout these years, she remained deeply devoted to her own family, nurturing them daily with love, guidance, and unwavering care.
The Truesdales raised three accomplished children. Their eldest son, Michael, graduated from the United States Customs Academy and earned a Master of Science degree from Morgan State University. He served with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Their middle child, a daughter, Sherrise, earned a Ph.D. from Howard University and is a professor at Minnesota State University. Their youngest son, Curtis Jr., holds a Master of Science degree from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in the sciences from the University of Southern California. He is the founder and owner of Truesdale Regulatory Consulting LLC, a boutique firm that assists healthcare product developers and manufacturers in bringing innovations to the global market.
Dolores is survived by her husband, Curtis Truesdale Sr.; her eldest son, Michael, his wife, Veronica, and their daughter, Maya Truesdale, who has a son, Thomas Paul, Dolores’ great-grandson; her daughter, Sherrise, her husband, Jonathan, and their son,
Darius; and her youngest son, Curtis D. Truesdale Jr.
A funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at the Nelson County High School
Auditorium, 6919 Thomas Nelson Highway, Lovingston, Virginia 22949.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.
She will be laid to rest at Mon Valley Memorial Park in Donora, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, alongside her parents, Clarence Ulysses Brothers and Beatrice Penn Brothers; her sister, Gertrude Tillery; and other beloved members of the Brothers and Penn families.
Family and friends may sign her Virtual Guestbook at www. wellssheffield.com
Arrangements by Wells/Sheffield Funeral Chapel, Lovingston (434-263-4097).
