with lungs that were never as good as she was.
Her last days were filled with love and laughter
surrounded by all four of her sisters. She arrived
a month early June 23, 1944 in Daytona Beach,
FL to the late Paul and Ruth Pessillo. A sixth generation
Floridian, she enjoyed Florida’s weather (but not the
hurricanes). She graduated Winter Haven High School in 1962
and moved to Tallahassee to begin a distinguished career with
the State of Florida, where she rose to the level of Exec. Secretary
to the Head of the Florida Department of Corrections,
Louie L. Wainwright.
She earned a BA, cum laude, in Criminology in 1976, from FL
State College of Criminology & Criminal Justice and remained
an ardent supporter of her ‘Noles,’ always with sympathy to
misbegotten Gators’ fans. She received her Juris Doctor from
Stetson College of Law in 1983 and soon after took on the role
of Assistant State Attorney in the Juvenile Criminal Division
of Pinellas County, FL. She achieved a level of respect and
admiration that only a few women obtained in that era. She
retired in 2000, after 30 years of hard work and dedication to
the State of Florida, and began the full time pursuit of other
interests in Feather Sound, Clearwater, FL.
Dotty found a passion for film, diving into acting classes and
snagging modeling jobs, commercials and movie work. She
was active in the FL Motion Picture & Television Assn (FMPTA)
and the Sunscreen Film Society and she took great pride in
Murder, It’s For The Birds, a tall tale told from the point of view
of, and narrated by, a pelican. It will be screened by The Tampa
Bay Film Society at their upcoming Movie Night, 7 pm June 19,
2018, at the Holiday Inn Express in Oldsmar FL. (Open to the
public, suggested donation $5.00.)
A county music fan she attended many concerts, and of
course, the Plant City Strawberry Festival almost every year
with her sisters. She made a long desired pilgrimage to
Graceland, taking a niece that shared her love of Elvis. A “few”
mementos from the gift shop were a trip highlight for both.
(They left a couple.)
Dotty is survived by sisters, Judith Thompson, Marilu (Mike)
Dempsey, Patricia (Tom) Pridgen, and Karen Bailey. She will
be remembered by all for her genuine kindness, sisters, nieces,
nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and cousins.
Every member of her large extended family will feel her loss
deeply. She never forgot a birthday or important occasion, and
she was only a phone call away for advice, comfort and support.
Fur-baby, Maximilian (Max) Pessillo, will continue his life
of spoiled indulgence with a good friend.
Dotty was preceded in death by her father, Paul Pessillo,
whom she lovingly cared for in her home for many years; her
stepmother, Delora Pessillo; and mother, Ruth Pessillo.
A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic
Church, 1955 South Belcher Road, Clearwater FL 33764 at 11
am Friday, June 29, 2018. A Celebration of Dotty’s Life will immediately
follow at the Feather Sound HOA Clubhouse, 14845
Feather Cove Lane, Clearwater FL 33762. A burial at sea ceremony
will be conducted Saturday, June 30, 2018.
Memorial donations may be made to one of Dotty’s many
charities such as The Humane Society of Pinellas County,
Clearwater FL; Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service
Trust; and The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast in Clearwater,
FL 33760
Family may be contacted at: [email protected] or
Pessillo, PO Box 162985, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714.
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