Dorothy L. Titsworth

Dorothy Arnold Titsworth, age 96, passed away on January 3, 2025, having raised five devoted children who cannot imagine being blessed with a better mom. She was born on November 11, 1928, in Vincennes, Indiana to her parents Allie and Ethel Arnold. She graduated from St. Rose Academy and moved to Indianapolis, where she met and married her beloved husband, Tom Titsworth. Tom and Dorothy raised five children: Katy McMurray (Sherman), Mary Chandler (Bryan), Ann Hanson (Rob), Jenny Kelly (Dave) and Tom Titsworth (Emily).

Dorothy was an avid gardener and passed her knowledge and passion on to her children, who consulted her throughout her life. Forsythia shrubs grown from cuttings from Dorothy’s original garden from 60 years ago live on in her children’s yards. Whip-smart, funny, fiercely loving and dedicated to a warm, fun and abundant family life, Dorothy fostered a vibrant household in which her kids could be found practicing all sorts of musical instruments, reading, painting, and running in and out of the house playing sports while school projects were laid out on the long family kitchen table and a gourmet dinner cooked in the oven. In the midst of it all, Dorothy maintained calm, and her kids would arrive home from school to find her waiting with a cup of coffee and an invitation to sit down and tell her about their day. In the evenings, she often gathered the family to watch movies like the Sound of Music and My Fair Lady after nightly family dinners. A child of the Depression, she kept meticulous spending records her entire life and could fix almost anything. In her later years, Dorothy continued to garden and read while serving as wise counsel to her kids and grandkids.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband Tom and her three siblings: LeRoy Arnold, Mary Weiler and Aline Mascari. Her 5 children survive, along with 13 grandchildren: Anne Wolfcale, Caroline and Rob McMurray; Clare, Lee and Beck Chandler; Emily, Daniel and Joseph Hanson; Mary and Megan Kelly; and Tom and Rob Titsworth; and 1 great-grandchild, Evie Wolfcale.

Dorothy will be laid to rest in a private family service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Employee Fund at Kraft Commons of Hooverwood.org., the Nature Conservancy of Indiana or The Indiana Audubon Society.