Dorothy (Hart) Belles

Dorothy L. (Hart) Belles, 85, a former resident of Willowdale Road in Groton, Massachusetts and Berwick, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 22, at The Highlands in Fitchburg, MA.

Dorothy was born in Berwick, PA on October 24, 1939, one of ten children of the late Jacob and Ruth (Varner) Hart.

In 1971, she rededicated her life to Christ as she became a member of the Berwick Seventh-day Adventist church, where throughout the years she held many offices.

While her children were growing up, she worked at the Ridgeville Seventh Day Adventist Elementary School In Danville, PA as a teacher’s aide.

Dorothy received training and worked as a nursing assistant at Little Creek Sanitarium and Academy in Knoxville,TN. She then went onto Hartland Institute for Better Living where she aided patients in the Health of Recondition Programs.

She returned to her hometown in 1986 where she worked for several years at the Berwick Retirement Village as a private duty home health aide. She had a special compassion for the elderly and she loved to encourage them by telling them to “keep smiling” and look forward to that better day when there would no longer be any sickness, sorrow or dying.

She enjoyed her family and all the holidays. She also enjoyed working in her gardens in spring and summer.

She is survived by her three loving daughters, Kim McAfee of Lunenburg, MA, Tammy Benfer of Auburn, PA, Shelley Piland of Bloomsburg, PA; grandchildren, Nicholas, Andrew, and Grace McAfee, Chad Benfer, Aimee Yandrisevits, Shelena and Ashley Piland; great grandchildren, Brayden, Addison, and Layla Benfer, Isaac and Benson Yandrisevits, Izabell-Ann Weaver, Mason Weaver and one great grandson on the way. She is also survived by her siblings Donald Hart of Berwick, PA and Linda Eyer of Berwick, PA; many nieces and nephews.

Dorothy was predeceased by her devoted husband of 65 years, Howard L. Belles who passed on February of 2024.

A graveside memorial service for Howard and Dorothy Belles will be held at Pine Grove Cemetery Annex, Walnut Street, Berwick, PA on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 11:00 am. Their nephew and Minister of the Gospel, Bradley Seltzer, will officiate. Online messages of comfort and support may be left at www.kelchnerfuneralhome.com.