We're very sad for your lost. 
We will never forget you dearest friend Dorothy. A big hug from me and my family to all of you. We are gonna miss you.
-Lucia, Caterina, Antonio, Nino Avignone♡

Dotty and Michael are the best neighbors one can ask for. Friendly, kind, and sweet. I’ll never forget the endless chocolates that were offered as well as the smooches on the cheek. May you Rest In Peace. 

Dotty and Michael were our neighbors for over 30 years. We will never forget how friendly and nice they were to us.  When we were Kids, they would always invite us over for candy. We miss you and may you Rest In Peace. 

There is not much more that I can add about Aunt Dotty that hasn’t already been said. She was my father’s favorite. I remember my parents were going on a cruise and Aunt Dotty and Uncle Michael went to see them off. As the ship began to pull out of port, Aunt Dotty and Uncle Michael were still on the ship. My father was frantic and said they could share their room but the joke was on him as Aunt Dotty and Uncle Michael had secretly booked passage.  I’m sure a good time was had by all.   RIP. 
Love,
Gaye and Dennis Valerio

When my grandfather died we thought that we would soon lose mom mom from a broken heart. She remained strong and lived on because of the friends and family that loved and cared for her. God bless you all. My mother was her lifeline. Her focus was the well being of her mom for many years doing whatever it took to give her quality of life in her golden years. Whether it was making sure she had nice clothes or going in to Brooklyn to get the bracelet she wanted in her top draw . Mom mom always remembered what and where her jewelry was in brooklyn. Mom always made sure she had everything she needed and wanted down to the Stella Dora cookies that she enjoyed so much. Much love mom!

My memory of (great) Aunt Dotty are of her home in Brooklyn.  We visited with family when we were kids. I remember going to visit and always being welcomed with love.  I remember visiting at Easter time and seeing all the palms in the bathtub that her mom was going to use. They had a dog (Laddie, I think) that would drink  water from the toilet bowl. Of course it had to be clean  for him. Her husband, Uncle Michael,  played the Ukulele. Their home was filled with lots of talk, laughter and of course food. She would write letters to the family. Her letters contained great detail and she could write a "book" on a space as small as postcard. 
One visit that comes to mind was a visit to Brooklyn with our daughter (Dotty's grandniece).  She served us all kinds of food and even had an ice cream bar set up for dessert. All done with love. We could barely move.
We love you Aunt Dotty.
Nancy & Ted Valerio

My memories of Dorothy began in 1959 when I met Joy as we began our college years together. Dorothy was eager to get Joy settled in by helping to decorate her new room! It was at the Mount that I had occasion to be in Dorothy’s company  numerous times. In the years that followed. Joy moved to Plainview, (now my neighbor,) & I saw Dorothy more often. She again shared her decorating savvy, delighted us with her culinary expertise, & was infectious with her hilarious anecdotal stories! She was never at a loss for words! She was warm, caring, & tender hearted! She always made you feel welcomed & loved! Dorothy was a centenarian like no other! In her last years at her new residence, she’d play thoughtful board games, wrote  poetry which sat at the main entrance receptionist desk, & loved Halloween costuming, of which she was a 1st place winner 
numerous times! She was truly one of a kind! As I recall my memories of Dorothy, I thank Joy for the gift & blessing of knowing her Mom ! Rest In Peace, Dorothy❣️

My memories of Dorothy began in 1959 when I met Joy as we began our college days together! When she was at the Mount, she was always an eager beaver getting Joy’s  room decorated & helping her settle in! From this school environment, I came to know Dorothy better, when Joy moved to Plainview, & was now my neighbor!  Dorothy again was mindful of her decorating skills at the new house,  demonstrated her culinary expertise. was contagious with her many humorous anecdotes, & was always welcoming & loving! She cared so for everyone! Dorothy is a legend! Her intelligence,
wit, & love for good times, personified her throughout her 109 years! She wrote poetry for her friends at the new residence, & loved Halloween costuming of which she took numerous 1st place prizes!! A centenarian thé likes of whom I will never know again! Thank you Joy for the gift & blessing of knowing your mom! Rest In Peace Dorothy!

My Great Aunt Dotty has always been there and now she isn't. I've always known this day would come but somehow, I just wasn't ready for it. I have so many wonderful childhood memories of her, Uncle Michael, Joy, and Great Grandma Angelina.
I remember weekly visits for coffee and dessert that included conversations filled with stories of years gone by followed by watching the Arthur Godfrey Show, Grandma's favorite program! 
Summer visits were spent relaxing on the porch while sipping on Aunt Dotty's homemade ice tea which she flavored with orange slices. I still add a dash of orange juice to my ice tea. It takes me back. I guess it always will.
She included jokes and poems in her letters. She never forgot a birthday or an anniversary. She had a great sense of humor and a quick wit that often sent us into fits of laughter. She followed her own advice on the key to longevity: 'Be kind and play Scrabble.' She was kind and she played a lot of Scrabble! She will always be the Queen of that game.
I snapped this photo of Aunt Dotty just before driving back to Harrisburg after spending a weekend with her and Joy. This is how I remember her, sitting on the porch of her beloved home, waving to the neighbors passing by. I will miss you so much Aunt Dotty. You are united with your beloved Michael at last. Rest in peace. 

I hardly knew Dotty when I was a child--I remember "Cousin Dorothea" at family gatherings but probably never had a conversation with her.  But my mother and sister maintained contact with her and we visited her at her home in Brooklyn and had a wonderful dinner with her.  I also visited her once at her assisted living residence--I had never before met someone who was 100 years old.  I often told my friends and students that I had a cousin living who was born one month before the Titanic sank!  What a lot of history Dotty saw--and what a wonderful experience knowing her!

I have so many good memories of my grandmother it’s hard to capture in words.  There were family gatherings and her delicious cooking, visits to her home in Brooklyn, and her remarkable bargaining and language skills on a trip Mexico with me and my family.  More important than the memories though are the life lesson on love and marriage she taught me in words and actions.  From the day she first met my soon-to-be wife Kelli she would pull me aside at every opportunity, hold my hands tight and give me her advice….make sure you tell Kelli you love her often……always make her feel appreciated……put her first…..be kind to each other even when you disagree….and many more.  I learned these valuable lessons from her words and seeing how my grandparents treated each other.  Every memory of my grandmother and grandfather together is of them holding hands. I’m happy that now she is reunited with my grandfather and I know they are again holding hands and watching over us.   I’m sad to have lost her in life but she lives on in my heart.  Love you Mom-mom.  

My mom mom always introduced me as her little grandson and would say he's a chef and then pointed to my belly and would say can't you tell and laugh. When I  would visit I would give her a kiss on her on her cheek and she would smush my whole face with her kisses. She gave so much love to everyone that's  why we all loved her back so much. Love always and forever. Never forgotten xoxo


When I was 16, my mother took me to Brooklyn to meet my Italian side of the family. She had grown up there with my grandparents, Aunt Dotty and Uncle Michael, my great grandmother Rose, and some cousins...plus ALL THE FRIENDS, of course. Even though my mother is Italian and indeed did always feed us well, I was not prepared for the level of food production at Aunt Dotty's. 

When we sat down to dinner, I was thrilled with all the bread and the pasta with homemade pesto sauce. I was in heaven, and I absolutely stuffed myself with that pasta. I thought, "What a great meal!" And then someone - Joy? Dotty? - came in with a large plate of chicken and said, "time for the main course!" I couldn't even imagine eating anything else, but...I did.

We then went on a tour of relatives' and friend' 'houses. In each one, we were greeted with an offer of food. And it would be impolite to turn it down, right? By the time I got back to Aunt Dotty and Uncle Michael's, I felt so sick from overeating. Aunty Dotty - fresh from watching Jeopardy! of course - asked what was wrong. 

"I don't feel so well," I said. 

"Well then, you must need to eat!" Aunty Dotty replied.

Visiting Aunt Dotty and Joy a few years ago, the spread wasn't quite so elaborate, but there was definitely more food than we could eat. Aunt Dotty stuck to her Jeopardy schedule, and of course we played Scrabble - where she has remained the champion in our family for decades. It was nice to know some things never change.

At 109, Aunt Dotty seemed indestructible. Even though in some ways you're prepared for the death of a relative so late in her years, it's still a sad shock when you realize she is mortal, after all.

Rest in Peace, Aunt Dotty. We love you.

OBITUARY

Dorothy D' Ambrose

March 8, 1911 – April 20, 2020

Claude R. Boyd - Caratozzolo Funeral Home

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