Delores Astrella Obituary

Silverstein Astrella
Delores Silverstein Astrella
May 11, 1936
January 8, 2024

Delores Silverstein Astrella passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 8, 2024 in Colorado Springs. She was born on May 11, 1936 in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was the oldest of three children born to Herman and Katherine Koran.
Delores Koran grew up in St. Paul in a working-class family at the end of the great depression and during World War II. She spent summers with family and at her relatives' farm north of the Twin Cities. At a young age she began working and helping at home when her father fell ill and could not work. She attended the University of Minnesota and then Palmer College of Chiropractic where was one of only a few women attending the college. She earned her Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree in 1957. She met her first husband, Lewis Silverstein, at school and they were married on March 22, 1958.
In 1958, Delores Koran Silverstein moved to Colorado Springs with her husband and together they opened Silverstein Chiropractic and worked out of their home on Wasatch Avenue. Delores continued to work in the practice until she "retired" to take care of her growing family. She had five children between 1958 and 1965 and not only did she raise her kids, but also many neighborhood kids as her home was the center of the neighborhood where everyone came to play. She was a dedicated, loving mother who provided her children with the foundation and guidance they needed to be successful.
Almost every summer when her children were young, she packed the kids in the car and drove to Minnesota or New York to visit family. Her children fondly remember one trip where she packed all five kids into a small Toyota Corona without air conditioning and spent much of the summer traveling to Washington DC, Arlington Va, Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, and Minnesota. She drove the entire trip by herself, and it is a wonder she didn't go crazy in the age of only AM/FM radio and nothing else to keep five kids entertained.
In the late 1970's when her kids were old enough to take care of themselves after school, she re-started her chiropractic practice and joined with her husband Lewis in 1980. Together they ran a very successful practice with Delores leading the way. She was not only a very good doctor, but a friend and advisor to many of her patients. She retired again for good in 1989 when they sold the practice. Delores also founded the "Knights of the Roundtable" fraternal organization to recognize the achievements of women chiropractors. She was very active in the organization until her health no longer allowed her to participate. She often said this was one her most rewarding achievements.
Her husband Lewis passed away suddenly in 1990 and five years later Delores met, and married Ralph Astrella on March 11, 1995 and they remained in Colorado Springs. They spent the next 26 years together until Ralph passed away in 2021. They traveled the country and visited numerous places around the world and spent many hours visiting friends, children, and grandchildren.
Delores Silverstein Astrella had many hobbies and interests throughout her life. She was an avid hiker in her 40s and 50s and climbed many of the 14,000' mountains in Colorado. She loved to paint, sew, and make ceramics in her retirement and her home was filled with the works she created.
Delores leaves behind to cherish her memory: sister Mary of St. Paul MN, children Mark (Karen), Todd, and Joan of Colorado Springs, David (Mary) of Kansas City, Mike (Nela) of Denver, stepson Mark (Jenny) Astrella of Colorado Springs, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and a host of friends in Colorado and abroad. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Robert, and spouses Ralph Astrella and Lewis Silverstein.
Delores chose to be cremated. A funeral mass and celebration of life will be held Tuesday March 5, 2024 at 11:00 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 3122 Poinsetta Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80907. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to Trails and Open Space Coalition at: www.trailsandopenspaces.org