Elvin E. Dolph

Elvin Earl Dolph passed away at 94 years old on December 5th, 2024, surrounded by his family at Auburn Memorial Hospital.

Elvin was born on March 26th, 1930. At three days old, he was predeceased by his birth mother Elsie Taylor. Elvin grew up on a farm with his mother and father, Mildred and Earl Dolph. He had early memories on the farm hand milking cows, hitching up horses to plow the fields, and helping to deliver milk to other families with his father.

He graduated from Weedsport School in 1948. At 18 years old, Elvin joined the United States Army where he served in the Army 4 years, doing tours in Guam and Japan.

After he came back from deployment, he was stationed at Fort Lee, Virginia where he met the love of his life; Annie Kathleen Smith who was a civilian employee on the base.

Elvin and Kathleen were married on August 16th,1952. Kathleen predeceased Elvin in April of 2015. They had 62 beautiful years together.

Elvin and Kathleen bought a home in Weedsport where he was lifelong member of the Weedsport Community. Most know Elvin from being their barber. In 1952 he started cutting hair in the village of Jordan, and continued cutting hair when he opened Dolph’s Barbershop in the Downtown Weedsport in 1955, where he cut just about every boy/gentleman’s hair in Weedsport up until he closed his shop in the late 1980’s. He continued to cut hair in his garage barbershop for another 15 years. Although his barbershop chair has been empty for many years, he always remembered each person that would come up and say, “Elvin you used to cut my hair!”

In 1972 he started working for the State DOT, where he worked up until he retired in 1991.

Elvin was a life member of the VFW, the Weedsport Rod and Gun Club, the Old Brutus Historical Society, a 71 year member of the American Legion and a Post Commander, and a 70 year member of the Masonic Lodge. He was also a lifelong member of the Weedsport Baptist Church, serving as a Trustee for a number of years. Elvin coached Little League for a number of years and served on the Town of Brutus Zoning Board of Appeals and was currently on the Rural Cemetery Committee.

Elvin and his wife Kathleen truly enjoyed traveling and had visited almost every state together. They owned a home in Florida that they traveled to every winter for 15 years and visited Kathleen’s family in Virginia multiple times a year. Their highlight vacations were trips to Alaska and Hawaii.

In 1962 Elvin and his two friends Art Joroleman and Dick Colvin purchased a hunting camp up in Forresport, NY. The three friends had endless stories of time spent at their hunting camp, and the Dolph and Colvin families still enjoy going there.

In 1965 Kathleen and Elvin bought a camp on Owasco Lake. They loved spending summers there with the Lynch, Colvin, Joroleman, Hutton and Spingler Families who they had great friendships with. Elvin loved sitting on the deck listening to the waves, going on boat rides around the lake, and watching his grandkids and great-grandkids playing in the water.

Elvin also enjoyed working in his garden, going deer hunting (he even went out last year!), or golfing in the summer with his best friend Jimmy Applebee. But most of all Elvin felt so blessed with the large family that he had.

With a total family of 41 family members, the Dolph Family has to rent out a space to spend Christmas Eve together. Elvin’s face would light up when he was surrounded by his large family.

Elvin and Kathleen had three boys; David (Gwen) Dolph, Daniel (Darlene) Dolph, Dale (Lafi) Dolph. He had 8 grandchildren: Jesse (Shantel) Dolph, Matthew (Sarah) Dolph, Danielle (Kerry) Harris, Deann (Jayson) Porter, Denise (Forrest) Chandler, Matt (Jessica) Ae, Elisa (Gene) McIntyre, Robby (Emma) Dolph and 19 great grandchildren, with two more on the way, and nieces and nephews down in Virginia whom he still keeps in touch with.

The Dolph Family is so large and blessed, all because two people fell in love in Virginia.

Calling hours for Elvin will be held on Monday, December 9th from 2pm - 5pm in White Chapel Funeral Home, 2719 Erie Drive, Weedsport NY. A private service for family will be held at 5pm, following calling hours.

Donations in Elvin’s name can be made to the Weedsport Fire Department or Hospice of Central NY.

To offer condolences, please visit whitechapelfh.com.

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