It is with profound love and heartbreak that we share the passing of Doris Catherine Bilbow English, 71, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, who died suddenly on January 15, 2026.

Doris was born on June 6, 1954, in Pittston, Pennsylvania, to Doris Catherine Bender Bilbow and Robert Edward Bilbow.

Doris was the kind of woman who made life feel softer just by being in it. She had a warmth that drew people in, a humor that stayed with you, and a way of loving that felt steady, protective, and absolute. She was happiest in the simple moments—sitting on her front porch, waving to neighbors, and offering a friendly conversation to anyone who passed by. She was the person you could talk to for five minutes and walk away feeling better.

Doris had the most unforgettable laugh—the kind that would burst out before she could even finish a funny story, and then make everyone around her laugh too. It was pure joy, and it was so unmistakably her.

Doris was the beloved wife of David English, and the devoted mother of Erica Dougherty (husband Jack Dougherty), Erin English, and Ryan English (wife Bria Eick English). She was a proud and deeply loving grandmother to Fiona and Maeve (Erica and Jack’s children), and Eva and Jack (Ryan and Bria’s children), with baby Jack born on the very day of her passing. In the Irish and Celtic tradition, there is a belief in “thin places,” moments when the veil between this world and the next feels closer than usual. For Doris’s family, that timing will forever feel like one of those sacred moments—love arriving as love departs.

Doris is also survived by her siblings: Kathleen Belles (Wayne), Jean Marie Bilbow, Rose Mary Manbachi (Abby), Robert Bilbow (Maureen), Patrick Bilbow (Amy), and numerous nieces and nephews.

Doris worked for the Social Security Administration for 16 years, where she built lifelong friendships and truly enjoyed the people she worked alongside. She often told with a smile, the story of finding out she was having twins while at work—and calling her husband immediately, full of shock and joy, to tell him.

Doris also treasured friendship and community. She loved going out with her girlfriends from Social Security, attending her St. John’s Class of 1972 outings, and showing up faithfully to her Parkinson’s exercise classes at the JCC in Kingston, bringing her determination and her spirit with her.

But Doris’s greatest work was her family. She dedicated her life to her children with a love that never wavered. She advocated tirelessly for her special needs daughter, Erin, making sure she always had everything she needed—and more. She was Erin’s fiercest protector, her safest place, and her constant. Her daughter Erica often said she couldn’t imagine a child like Erin having any other mother than one like hers.

Doris will be remembered in the moments that matter most: the laughter that interrupts a funny story, the warmth in an ordinary conversation on a porch, the feeling of being cared for without having to ask. She was love. She was humor. She was home.

The Funeral will be held on Wednesday January 21st, 2026, at 9:30am from the Howell-Lussi Funeral Home Inc., 509 Wyoming Avenue, West Pittston.  A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10am in St. John the Evangelist Church, 35 William Street, Pittston.  Interment will follow in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Carverton section of Wyoming.  

A viewing will be held on Tuesday January 20th, 2026, from 5pm until 8pm at the Funeral Home.

Online Condolences can be left for Doris at Howelllussi.com.

Doris will be missed and loved forever.