Dorothy Ann Maurer Ely was born to Carrie Roettger Maurer and Edward Henry Maurer on May 23, 1920, at the family home in Sidney, Ohio, and passed away peacefully on December 5, 2020, at the age of 100. She grew up on the farm with her sisters Carolyn and Esther and brother Phillip and milked the cows every morning before riding in a horse and buggy to a one-roomed schoolhouse. She graduated from Sidney High School, received her RN degree from Grant Hospital, and worked as a factory clinic nurse for Monarch during World War II. Dot married Harry Ely in 1945 after he returned from the war and raised five boys in Ohio, Alabama, and Tampa. After moving to Tampa, Dot worked as a nurse at Tampa General Hospital and in public health at Kelton Clinic. Gramma Dot was the rock of our family. She was strong, kind, and loving, with a positive attitude, a special sense of humor, and firm Christian values that she passed along to her boys. She loved God and her family, was a loyal friend and a faithful member of Hyde Park Presbyterian Church for many years. She was an avid sports fan and enjoyed watching her boys play football from a young age in Alabama, then at Plant High School, and on to college at Florida, the Air Force Academy, and Miami. She loved watching her grandson Philip play football at Plant, Alabama, and Toledo. She was a long time Tampa Bay Rays fan, knew about all the players, and watched most every Rays game on TV for many years. She loved to travel to see her family in Ohio, Colorado, California, Thailand, and places in between. Dot is survived by her five sons- Steve (Carol), Mark (Debba), Curtis (Melva), Bruce (Jan), and Terry (Charlotte); grandchildren- Lisa (Rusty,) Monica (Eric), Brad (Elizabeth), Liz, Valerie, Megan (Tyler), Phillip (Kallie), Jessica, and Maggie; great grandchildren- John, Zach, Emmi, Izzy, Joe, Jake, and Raelynn; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Although we will miss her terribly, we know that Gramma Dot will always be with us. She is our Guardian Angel now.
Due to COVID 19, a private family service will be held. It can be viewed live at 1:30 PM on Saturday, December 12, on the Blount and Curry MacDill Facebook page. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hyde Park Presbyterian Church, 1309 Swann Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606.
