Doris G. Quelet (Burton)

Doris Genevieve Burton Quelet, born in Carney, MD Sept. 11, 1926 passed away peacefully on April 8, 2020 at Oak Crest Retirement Facility, Parkville, MD, where she and her husband, George Millard Quelet shared their final years until his passing in June 2018. They were married Nov. 11, 1950. She is the daughter of William and Margaret Burton, sister of William Burton, Jr., Albert Clifton Burton, Margaret Burton Knauer, Evelyn Burton Miller. Survived by 5 loving sons and their spouses: Steven and Deborah, Keith and Kathy, Kevin and Linda, Paul, Jeffrey and Michelle. Doris has 6 grandsons, 3 granddaughters, 4 great–grandsons, and 2 great– granddaughters.

Grandson, Todd: “My grandmother had a little piece of God in her. She used that power for good, and made the world a better place–to which I, and countless others, are grateful.”

Funeral services and interment will be private. Please check the funeral home website for future details for services for Doris being held at a later date.

According to Doris, her greatest accomplishment was raising her 5 children. The greatest lessons that she imparted by example to her 5 sons and their families was the importance of family, to always love each other unconditionally, to make visiting each other a priority, and to never allow bitterness or other hard feelings to persist and thus endanger those critical family relationships.

Words From One of Her Grandsons:

In Loving Memory of Doris Quelet, 1926-2020. There were two sides to Doris Quelet - both mutually reinforcing each other. I was privileged to experience both

1. Touched by an angel. This woman was possibly the kindest, gentlest person I've ever met, with boundless generosity, and infinite patience. Nothing in her life was more important than her family. She lived 364 days a year, preparing for that one day her entire family would be together again at Christmas. But despite how intensely important this was to her, not once did I ever hear her say a negative word, or put a guilt trip on anybody who could not make it, for whatever reason. Her love was not conditional, it was infinite, boundless. Even in times or friction and stress, we always knew we could take refuge in her arms. She was our lighthouse in a storm. It was for this reason that all 28 of us flew in from all over the country to make it to Christmas each year.

This was her true nature, revealed tragically in recent years when stricken by a debilitating form of dementia. She could not recognize us, or any of the staff who took care of her. But she never stopped being kind. She must have been confused and afraid every day. But she remained sweet, and polite, and accommodating until her last days on earth.

2. Crusader and activist. This woman is probably responsible for saving me, my mother, and our family. When I was an infant my mother was recruited into a particularly dangerous cult. My grandmother jumped headlong into the fray, and found others in the area willing to help. The process took months, was dangerous at times, and almost ripped my family apart. But my grandmother and her associates persisted, and ultimately rescued us from those predators. They gave my mother and me our lives back, to which I hope we have gratified their efforts by doing something positive with our lives. And they helped launch an entire network of cult fighters in the 1970s and 80s, rescuing dozens of women from similar organizations, and earning a reputation as one of the most effective adversaries to cults across the country.

Do not mistake kindness for weakness. This woman was tough as nails, shrewd, and keenly aware of the evils of the world. But it was precisely because of her bottomless compassion, and love for all people, that presented such a threat to those who rely on anger and fear to manipulate others. My grandmother had a little piece of God in her. She used that power for good, and made the world a better place - to which I, and countless others, are grateful. We love her. We will miss her. May she rest well, reunited with her husband Millard of 67 years, and back in God's grace.