In loving memory of Dolores Welty
January 19, 1935 – June 18, 2026
Local legend and political activist, Dolores Welty, passed June 18th of 2026, at the age of 91.
Dolores was born in Lusk, WY, on January 19, 1935, to Abdon Frank DeCastro and Edna Mae Howard DeCastro.
She moved from Wyoming to California at the age of 18 to pursue a degree in English at the University of Redlands.
She became a high school English teacher and raised a family in Southern California, eventually settling in Encinitas.
Following her professional career, Dolores spent her retirement as a political activist on a broad range of issues.
As a slow growth proponent, she fought property developers in her adopted hometown of Encinitas.
As an environmental advocate, she co-founded the California Environmental Law Project, which won numerous landmark environmental justice cases in the Western United States, including forcing the City of Los Angeles to give back the water it stole from Owen’s Valley farmers (an injustice made famous by the movie Chinatown).
As a human rights activist, she violated the embargo against Cuba to bring medical supplies to the island and travelled with Witness for Peace to conflict areas in Latin America, helping to document the United States’ support for military juntas and dictators in the area.
Smart, fierce, unafraid, and funny, Dolores spoke her mind while bringing smiles and laughter to those around her.
She was preceded in death by her daughter, Dara, and her ex-husband, Randy.
She is survived by her brothers Howard and Edward, her daughter, Annie, and her son, Ryan.
A memorial service and a celebration of life, which she lived so well, will be held at the United Methodist Church located at 170 Calle Magdalena in Encinitas on August 29th, 2026, at 11am.
