Dorothy Lorraine Wesolowski

Dorothy was born on January 11, 1931, in Queens, New York, where she was the second of two children born to Earnest and Dorothy Hanel.

Raised in Bayside, she loved tap dancing as a youth and spending time with her cousins and lifelong friends Joannie and Ginnie. Through her brother Richie, she met her future husband, George Wesolowski, who remained by her side for 58 years.

George and Dotty married May 5, 1951 at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Flushing, NY, and began their family. Over the next 20 years, they raised their daughter, son, and twin boys in their home in Whitestone, spending fun times at Jones’ Beach and her parents’ country house in upstate New York in Conesville. Many enjoyable family weekends were also spent at her brother’s home in Carle Place, Long Island, or Joannie’s house in Babylon. Then in 1971 they followed her parents down to sunny Pompano Beach and settled in Lighthouse Point.

As the children aged, she went back to school for nursing and graduated from Broward College with an associate’s degree in nursing. She worked at Boca Community Hospital for 25 years as an operating room nurse. She was very proud of her career and made lifetime friendships with some of her colleagues.

As busy as she was, she always enjoyed cooking and family meals, making her award-winning dinners with her famous gravy, her perfect pound cake, chicken cacciatore, and annual Christmas spaghetti feast, to name a few favorites.

She traveled often during those years, enjoying treasured trips to Europe and Alaska with her daughter Dot, and son-in-law Tod, who owned a travel agency. She also traveled to Virginia to see her son Michael, who was studying at Virginia Military Institute.

Through her son Michael, she and her husband built a log cabin in Galax, Virginia, where they enjoyed many years vacationing with their family and friends in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. The legacy of The Cabin remains in our family through the ownership of son Bill and his wife Sharon, and the continuation of Weso Family Fall Gatherings takes place every year.

Dorothy was very proud and supportive of her sons George and Bill, who were in law enforcement, so much so that in her 70’s and 80’s she joined her lifelong nurse friend Dotty Gordon and became a member of the Citizens on Patrol unit for the City of Lighthouse Point Police Department.

The other things she loved as much as her family were her four-legged family members Alofa, Sam and Somer.

She was also a woman of great faith in God. She was an active member of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church for many years where she volunteered in the kitchen for events and Bingo nights. Her legacy of faith and service continues through her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, evidenced through generations of weddings, baptisms and funeral masses with the family’s dear friend Father Bernie throughout the past 27 years.

Dorothy was a true matriarch of the Wesolowski family. Her witness to strength, hope, hard work, loyalty, faith in God, and service, set the standard for many generations to come. But her biggest gift to all was what she instilled in everyone- the value and love of family.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, cousin Ginnie, brother Richie, husband George, and son-in-law Tod.

She is survived by her 4 children: Dot Schneider, Boca Raton; George Wesolowski (Monica), Lighthouse Point; William Wesolowski (Sharon), Coral Springs, Michael Wesolowski (Suzanne), Virginia Beach, VA.; She is also the lovingly remembered by her 10 grandchildren: Lauren (Mike), and David (Alyssa), Elizabeth (Andrew), Laura (Elie), Richard (Renee), Jonathon (Shelby), Alyssa (Taylor), Christopher, Victoria (Ben), Jeffrey (Serina), and 12 great grandchildren; Scarlett, Todd, Caden, Parker, Bennett, Dakota, Cheyenne, Montana, Zachary, Colson and baby Schneider and baby Hill on the way!

Service arrangements are as follows:

Sunday, March 1, Visitation will be held at Babione Funeral Home, 1100 N Federal Hwy., Boca Raton, 4-6 p.m.

Monday, March 2, Mass at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S. Swinton Ave. Delray Beach, 10:00 a.m. Burial will take place at the National Cemetery of South Florida, 6501 S. SR 7, Lake Worth, starting promptly at 1:30 p.m.

Flowers may be sent to Babione Funeral Home, or in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.