Doris Anna Kaiser Handley passed away September 28, 2013 at Newark Manor.

Doris Anna Kaiser was born August 26, 1926 to Marie Muller and John Kaiser in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This little blond blue-eyed girl was the darling of her Grandmother Kaiser who lived with them until her death and her Mother’s two brothers, Uncle Frank and Uncle Charles Muller who lived in the same neighborhood, spending many days and evenings playing cards, having meals together and entertaining with song and dance. Her childhood was filled with roller skating and happy times playing with her friends on the same street spending many hours together.

Piano lessons and music were introduced very early in her life and she played her beautiful black baby grand piano for many years. Later, Doris and her best friend Catherine attended dances at the YMCA and social clubs in the city.

Doris graduated from Philadelphia Girls High School in 1944 and later attended night classes in bookkeeping and accounting. Her father died in May of 1944 just weeks before her graduation and her Grandmother Kaiser a few months later. In October, her cousin Charles Hess was killed in WWII the day before his 22nd birthday, adding to her grief.

Doris was married for 9 years and spent most of that time in New Jersey before divorcing and moving back to Philadelphia where she went to work at ASTM as a bookkeeper until her retirement in 1991. She resided in Penn Center House apartment until 2009 when she moved to the Newark Delaware area to be near family there. Her cousins, Polly Willis and Ethel Lewis were her primary caregivers at that time until she moved into the Newark Manor Nursing Home about 18 months ago.

She is survived by her cousins Pauline Willis of North East, MD; Ethel Lewis of Newark, DE; Phoebe Robinson of Las Vegas, NV and Janet Hollett of Middletown, DE s well as second cousins in distance states.

A graveside service will be held at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, 215 Belmont Ave, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 on Thursday October 3, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.