Concetta "Connie" (Stephano) Dallas

Concetta “Connie” S. Dallas, age 89, of Wilmington, Delaware passed into Eternal Life on Monday, January 19, 2026.  Born on December 2, 1936 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Connie was the beloved daughter of the late Joseph and Edith (Bozzi) Stephano; devoted wife to her late husband James Dallas, Sr.; loving mother to her children James Dallas, Jr. (Cynthia), Joseph Dallas (Lisa), and Edith Ryan (Tim), as well as the cherished Grandmom to her 7 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and 18 nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.  She is survived by her sister Mary Jane McInnis (Don) and is predeceased by her sisters Jean Scalessa and JoAnn Young and brother Joseph Stephano.

Connie was an alumna of J. W. Hallahan High School in Philadelphia (the 1st Diocesan all-girls Catholic High School in the US) and it was there that the faith Connie learned at home continued to be upheld.  Hallahan's rigorous academic curriculum boasted a comprehensive music program and this would form the foundation of a lifetime of music-making for Connie:  from principal trumpet in the Orchestra, to learning and teaching piano, to singing and dancing with the Jamison Classical School of Ballet, the Limelighters and the Salesianum Theatre musical productions, to celebrating each and every musical performance of her siblings, children and grandchildren.

After graduation from Hallahan, Connie was employed by the DuPont Company and joined the St. Thomas Senior CYO where she eventually met her husband, Jim Dallas.  Jim and Connie were married in 1959 and thereafter were blessed with their three beautiful children. Connie then left her position at DuPont to raise her family and to serve as the Business Manager for over 40 years of Jim’s photography business, “Dallas Studios”.

Simultaneous with her duties at home, Connie reached out into the community lending her expert organizational help and friendship first and foremost to her beloved St. Elizabeth Parish in the Blessed Virgin Mary Sodality, the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Team, and all the way through her 80’s, to singing in the Parish Choir. In addition, she extended her time and talent to the St. Francis Hospital Junior Board where her roles ranged from gift shop buyer to serving terms as Treasurer and Board President. She loved her times with all of these faith-filled volunteers!

Yet another joy for which Connie was most grateful was the home she and Jim created and shared with their wonderful, hard-working children on the Jersey Shore.  Always proud of their Italian heritage, this generous duo created a family tradition spanning over 50 years of over 50 family members coming together for a vacation (which we've named our 'Holy Week'!) by the sea, sustaining and strengthening their love as well as the bond of their shared Catholic Faith.

Connie was a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt and friend.  She was known for her strength, for being dependable, and for her steady presence.  In the words of one of her nieces: “Aunt Connie was always thrilled to just listen to what others had to say…that stood out to me…when she did share a thought or a story, it always shocked me how wise she was!”

Wise indeed.... and faithful! for she found peace and strength in God through Prayer and the Sacraments all the days of her life. How fortunate we are for her example! We will miss her so much.

The family is so grateful to the nurses and staff from Compassionate Care Hospice who brought the light of Christ with them every time they entered Connie’s home.

Family and friends are invited to visit at the Doherty Funeral Home, 3200 Limestone Road, Pike Creek, on Monday, January 26 from 5:00 – 7:00PM.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Elizabeth’s Church, Cedar and S. Clayton Streets, Wilmington on Tuesday, January 27 at 11:00AM.  Connie will be laid to rest with her beloved Jim at All Saints Cemetery in a private ceremony on Thursday, January 29.  

In lieu of flowers please consider a memorial donation to the Ministry of Caring, 115 E. 14th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 (https://www.ministryofcaring.org) or National Centre for Padre Pio, PO Box 206, Barto, PA 19504 (https://www.padrepio.org).