Dorothy Edith Irwin

Her family announces the passing of Dorothy Edith Scaroni Irwin on April 1, 2020 at Copper Place Assisted Living at the age of 96 years. She was the eldest daughter born to Swiss immigrants Roberto and Gilda Scaroni on December 24, 1923 (she often told people that Santa Claus brought her!) in King City, CA. Her father was a dairy farmer who also made his own sausage and wine.

At home, Dorothy and her younger sister Gemma spoke a Swiss dialect similar to Italian; they learned English in school. Dorothy played E flat alto saxophone (favorite song was "NOLA") and played basketball during school years. She drove a milk can truck to Gonzales High School and had a part time job at a ladies dress shop. In 1942, she graduated from Gonzales High School; during WWII she worked at King City Air Base before transferring to Salinas Air Base. Her job there was to maintain records for airplane flying hours and maintenance. It was at that job in March 1945 that aircraft maintenance inspector Sgt. Walter Irwin (handsome young man from Oelwein, IA) started buying her coffee during break time. Their first date was to a squadron baseball team game where Walter played in the outfield. Walter and Dorothy were married September 19, 1945 at his parent's church in Oelwein because her California pastor didn't want her to marry a soldier. Thus began their Army Air Corps and, in 1947, United States Air Force adventure together! They lived at Lake Charles, LA, El Paso, TX, Washington DC where they lived at Bolling Air Force Base mobile home park overlooking the Potomac River; then Walter was assigned to South Korea so Dorothy and 2 little daughters spent that year in Santa Cruz, CA near some family. After that it was on to Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas for 10 years where Walter was with the U2 spy plane squadron which later was transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson; then the whole family spent 2 years at Clark Air Base in the Philippines followed by the last assignment to Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, AZ. After a 30 year career in Army Air Corps and United States Air Force, Walter retired as a Chief Master Sergeant. They bought their 1st house in Glendale. When our Dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor, Mother took extra good care of him during 4 years of surgeries & treatments. He died on September 9, 1982 and has been waiting for 37 years & 7 months for his "5 foot 2, eyes of blue" sweetheart to join him at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.

After a diagnosis of Alzheimers, Dorothy made the decision to move to Yuma to be close to family (she loved to talk about the importance of "familia"). For the past 4 1/2 years she has lived at Copper Place Assisted Living where she has received excellent care for which the family is very thankful!

Dorothy is survived by daughters, Virginia Kay Hwang in Houston TX, Roberta (Bobbi) Shay in Yuma, AZ, son-in-law, Dan Shay here in Yuma, her younger sister, Gemma (just turned 92!) in Yuma AZ; grandchildren Michael Shay in CA, Craig Shay and wife Meryanne in Yuma, Teresa Sepulveda in Houston TX; great grandchildren Max, Ethan, Jacqueline, Isaiah, Alexis, and Annamarie.

Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 AM on April 8, 2020 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Yuma for immediate family members only due to the restrictions in place for the health and safety of everyone. The Funeral Mass will be live streamed online at www.stfrancisyuma.com with burial at later date at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix where Mother and Daddy will be together forever.

Memorial contributions in Dorothy's name may be made to Children's Museum of Yuma County Inc, PO Box 398, Yuma AZ 85366.

Mother's favorite color was blue; whenever you wear that color pray for Dorothy and for your own loved ones.