Obituary of Doris Burlock Clegg

Doris Burlock Clegg went to be with the Lord on December 12, 2023. Doris had a long and happy life with her family. She was born in Philadelphia in 1939, daughter of Marie Katherine Durian Burlock and William Leighton Burlock, 3rd. Her arrival in this world was a big surprise to her parents as they did not know they were having identical twins until Doris arrived two minutes after her sister Barbara was born. Doris graduated from Germantown High School in 1957. She married her sweetheart Stewart Thomas Clegg, Jr in 1962, celebrating 50 years of marriage in 2012. Doris loved singing and playing music throughout her life. She played both the saxophone and the glockenspiel in her high school band. Her favorite instrument was the piano, which she played from childhood into her 80s. One of Doris's favorite pastimes was to play the piano and have her four daughters surround her singing along to hymns and popular music from the 50s-60s-70s. Her passion for music inspired a lifelong love of music among her daughters, as she ensured they each had a deeper understanding of music through piano lessons and access to her extensive vinyl album collection. She taught her girls countless songs that they eventually sang to their own children. That passion continues through her grandchildren. Doris was an expert seamstress and always had a sewing machine ready to take on any creative project, including elaborate draperies and custom dresses for her girls. During the 70s and 80s, she was the expert seamstress who sewed the felt letters onto all of the high school jackets from the local sporting goods store. Doris would knit beautiful and colorful blankets, to adorn the beds of her four daughters, and she even found time to crochet blankets for her grand-dogs. Doris was also a skilled administrative assistant and held several positions in various companies, keeping their executives organized and maintaining her shorthand skills for decades. Doris's favorite role was as a devoted mother and grandmother. She excelled in being the best mother and grandmother that anyone could wish for. She was dedicated to making a beautiful homelife for her girls. She was kind, thoughtful, and encouraging to her daughters, joyfully reveling in their achievements. She was thrilled when she gained four sons-in-law, with each of them vying to be #1 son-in-law. Doris delighted in becoming a grandmother. She loved the time she spent feeding every baby, shopping for cute outfits for each grandchild, attending their school events, and providing plenty of advice to her grandchildren on how to be creative and productive so they could enjoy a beautiful life. Doris was always thinking of ways to help others, ensuring they felt special and important. She had a unique talent for remembering and acknowledging birthdays, anniversaries, and other momentous occasions of her family and friends - old and new. Doris's regular family letters kept the family well connected, allowing each family member to feel engaged in one another's lives, including those living abroad. The people around her all mattered and she was truly excited to hear about everyone's adventures and accomplishments and to support those who may have needed a little support if they were feeling low. Doris's kindness and thoughtfulness knew no limits, as Doris's kind acts and generosity extended beyond those she knew personally. If Doris saw or heard of someone in need, she would find a way to offer a kind, comforting word, usually in one of her beautifully handwritten notecards, ensuring proper spelling and noting a sweet detail that she had heard or read. Doris's attention to even the smallest detail was and will continue to be inspiring. Doris is survived by her adoring daughters and their spouses, Pamela and Edward Berg, Alyse and Steven Schmidt, and Laura and Yann Helouvry, along with their children Rachel and Jake Berg, Casey, Trevor, Gavin, and Tanner Schmidt, Sophia and Julia Malhotra, and Ella Helouvry. Doris was preceded in death by her husband Tom, daughter Linda Clegg, and her twin sister Barbara Steppe. Doris is also survived by her loving sister Janet Aiken and numerous nieces and nephews and all of their children. Doris was a member of the Hatboro Baptist Church, where she had been active in the choir and taught Sunday School. Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at Helweg & Rowland Funeral Home, 1500 Old York Road, Abington, PA, where friends will be received from 9:30 - 11:00 AM. Interment in Ivy Hill Cemetery. Memorial donations may be sent to the American SPCA or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.