Dorothy M. Vukovich

Dorothy M. Vukovich, 96, of Peoria, Arizona passed away at home Monday afternoon, January 25, 2021. Dorothy is survived by her two nieces, Lynn Priest and Suzanne Graves-Hall, her great-nephews and great-nieces, Benjamin Priest, Jessie Davis, Robert Hall, Richard Hall, and Caroline Martin, and their respective partners and children. Dorothy was predeceased by her parents, Ann and William Mickelsen, her husband Peter Vukovich, and her sister, Carolyn Cruise.

Dorothy was born Dorothy Margaret Mickelsen in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 22, 1924. The descendant of immigrants from Denmark and Ausso-Hungary-Romania, she ran a store named Ann and Dot’s for a short time before beginning a successful 35-year career in banking at a time when few women worked in the field.

In 1972, she moved to Arizona with her husband and her parents, making Peoria her second, and final, home. Here, Dorothy was able to pursue her greatest passion: golf. She regularly played at the Maryvale Golf Course until it was bought by Grand Canyon University. She also played many other golf courses, both in the Phoenix area and other areas where she traveled and she achieved two holes-in-one, of which she was especially proud. Dorothy also worked at LPGA tournaments and even tested clubs for manufacturers.

Her marriage to Peter Vukovich was her greatest joy. Peter was more than a husband to Dorothy; he was her everything. A professional wrestler and boxer, he competed in matches in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas, and Dorothy was his most devoted fan and his constant companion. Throughout their marriage they also enjoyed participating and competing, along with Dorothy’s parents, in square dancing shows and exhibitions nationwide, traveling in general, and golfing, of course!

Dorothy’s other great companion was her sister, Carolyn. The talented sisters performed as “The Mickelsen Twins” on live radio in the 1920s, and later entertained our nation’s troops during World War II, singing with “The Rainbow Girls” in Milwaukee. Dorothy was also an accomplished accordion player. In recent years, Dorothy and Carolyn traveled together around much of the United States and enjoyed several cruises and trips to other countries, including the Caribbean on through the Panama Canal, Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico and Canada. Dorothy also traveled with other friends and particularly enjoyed Turkey, Greece, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. When relaxing at home, she loved a rousing game of dominos or canasta with her many friends, trips and activities with the Peoria Community Center, and a good cocktail. Eating out at a wide variety of restaurants with various groups of friends was always a special treat and she belonged to an informal group called “The Resort Girls,” a group of eight women who visited the restaurants of various greater Phoenix area resorts. She was always excellent company, witty and quick to tease and tell jokes.

A service of remembrance will be planned soon for Dorothy’s family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in her name to Salem Animal Rescue League at: https://www.sarlnh.org/donate-now