[Tall-Corn] Dolores Reisinger Obituary

[Intesar Duncan]

Good Afternoon NFBI Family,

Below please find the very impressive obituary which appears today on the
Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home's website, which is both copied below and
may be found at:

https://www.cedarmemorial.com/Obituary/2025/Feb/Dolores-M-Reisinger/

Dolores Molina Reisinger, 93, passed away February 17, 2025, at Meth-Wick
Community. A visitation will be held Monday, February 24, 9-10 a.m., at All
Saints Catholic Church, 720 29th St. SE, Cedar Rapids, followed by a
funeral mass, 10-11 a.m. Burial will take place at Cedar Memorial Cemetery,
4200 First Ave., Cedar Rapids at 1 p.m.

Dolores was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Reisinger, and her
parents Dolores Munhoz and João Molina. Surviving relatives, all of Sao
Paulo, Brazil, include her sisters Dirce Molina Munhoz and Vera Lucia
Molina (Darcio Francisco) Marcilio; two nephews, Thiago Molina (Dainana
Santana) Marcilio and Marcelo Molina (Rosana) Marcilio; a niece, Valeria
Marcilio (Fernando) Triboni; five great-nieces and -nephews, Antonella
Santana, Vitoria and Mariana Marcilio, and Bruno Marcilio and Fernanda
Marcilio Triboni; a cousin she was particularly close to, Magali Munhoz;
and several dear friends including Kathy Hall, who was with Dolores daily
from the time she moved from her home to memory care at Meth-Wick.

Dolores was born February 5, 1932, and grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in a
loving family. She was six months old when her parents learned she was
blind. They were determined Dolores grow up as a ‘normal’ person, capable
of learning through her remaining senses, and above all, her mind. They
allowed her to grow not only physically but mentally, emotionally and
intellectually.

Dolores attended a special Catholic school for blind children, run by the
sisters of St. Vincent de Paul. After elementary and secondary school, she
attended Sao Paulo State University, earning a Master of History degree.
She taught in Brazil until 1968, when she was invited by the US State
Department and the International Federation of the Blind to visit America
for a two-month exchange program. The purpose of the trip was to observe
schools and rehabilitation centers for blind Americans.
During her trip to America, Dolores met her future husband, Jack. They were
married March 8, 1969, after Dolores decided to leave her home country and
permanently move to the United States. At the time, Brazil was experiencing
political and military oppression; there was no freedom of press, no
freedom of speech, public meetings were not allowed, and citizens were not
allowed to voice their opinions.

Once in the US, Dolores learned her Brazilian degree was not recognized, so
she went back to school. She earned a teaching certificate and Master of
Spanish degree from the University of Northern Iowa. She spent the next
several years teaching Spanish at Columbus High School in Waterloo.

In 1976, Dolores went to work for the Iowa Department for the Blind as a
vocational rehabilitation teacher, serving 11 counties. For more than 18
years, she worked with blind individuals, teaching them the skills they
needed to help them live independently. She also helped them understand
that blind persons, given an opportunity, can overcome what she called the
‘inconvenience’ of loss of sight. She adamantly taught and believed the
real problem of blindness is misunderstanding and lack of information,
quite often caused by public attitudes, misconceptions and social
prejudices.

After retirement, Dolores volunteered as a member of the Cedar Rapids Civil
Rights Commission. During that time, she received the first of many signed
proclamations by the mayor of Cedar Rapids for “White Cane Safety Day” each
October 15. She also served on the Linn County “Help America Vote Act” task
force, which looked at election systems to ensure accessibility for
individuals who are blind and visually impaired.

Additionally, Dolores taught English as a Second Language and Portuguese
classes at Kirkwood Community College. She often spoke in front of groups
about blindness and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Every
October, during Meet the Blind Month, she actively pursued opportunities to
educate the community about blindness, including handing out literature at
public libraries, presenting in classrooms, and demonstrating her Braille
typewriter. One of her favorite materials to share was the NFB’s Courtesy
Rules of Blindness:

• *Cane *– My cane (or guide dog) is my independent travel aid. If you
think I might need help, please just ask me.
• *Ordinary *– Blind people are ordinary. It feels awkward if you think I
am amazing when I accomplish ordinary tasks like walking or tying my shoes.
I also like ordinary things and have ordinary hobbies. It is okay to be
amazed if I do something really exceptional.
• *Understand *– I may not recognize your voice if I don’t know you well.
Please say, “Hi, it is Sue.”
• *Remember *– I may have some sight but use nonvisual techniques and tools
like a cane because it works best for me. Sometimes people think I am
“faking” because I see a little, but I am just picking techniques that are
most efficient and safe in light of my vision.
• *Talk *– Please talk to me rather than a companion, and there is no need
to speak up so just use your normal speaking voice and talk with me like
you would with other people.
• *Experience *– I probably have years of experience using nonvisual
techniques to live my life. Feel free to ask me how I do something, or how
best you can assist me, if help is needed.
• *See *– It’s ok to still use words such as see and look. I will talk with
you like everyone else, although I may not be able to make direct eye
contact.
• *Yield *– In all 50 states, the law requires drivers to yield the right
of way when they see my extended white cane or guide dog. Only the blind
may legally carry white canes. I listen to traffic patterns to know when to
cross streets and to keep a straight line when moving around.

Above all, Dolores was devoted to her Catholic faith. She was a longtime
member of All Saints parish. She never missed a mass and treated every
Sunday like a special occasion, arranging a lunch date with a friend every
week. At All Saints, she enjoyed lecturing, knitting with the shawl
ministry, and loved to attend and help with church activities like
decorating for Christmas, packing meals for Take Away Hunger and partaking
in potlucks and celebrations.

Everyone who knew Dolores could easily recognize her determination. She was
a strong person who was never defeated. She enriched the lives of a great
number of people and will be loved and missed by all.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the National
Federation of the Blind or All Saints Catholic Church.

On Fri, Feb 21, 2025 at 9:08 AM Sandy and Terry Poldberg via Tall-Corn <
tall-corn at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> I too echo all that has been said about Dolores.  She truly wasa lot of
> fun.  She always would not reveal her age saying she was ageless.  I worked
> with her at the IDB for many years.  Whenever wehad staff meetings and she
> was in Des Moines, we would eat lunch together and had many good
> conversations.  She was a champion for blind people and was very active in
> spreading the word about blindness.  She will be missed.
>
>
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