Dorothy Mary Grove

Dorothy Mary Lake was born on Sunday, February 22, 1925, in Colonie, New York. The family moved to Maine, where she grew up. She was known as “the whiner”. Her sister Betty remembers her as the brave one. Dorothy was a very precocious child, at age 14 she took a car out and drove it. She was always bringing home stray animals.

One year Betty got to go to Florida with their Auntie, leaving Dorothy behind. Dorothy tied up Betty’s dolls and threw them in the river.

Dorothy married Edwin Tisdale when she was 17 years old. Dorothy had her first child, Irma when she was 19. Shortly followed by Barbara Elizabeth, Edwin and David all by the time she was 25 years old. World War II landed Edwin in the air force, leaving Dorothy to raise her children and make ends meet. The loss of their three month old baby Barbara Elizabeth while Dorothy was away visiting Edwin during his furlough broke their hearts. Their marriage ended in 1951.

Dorothy moved in with her brother Freddie and got a job as a waitress in San Francisco at the Ferry Building. The young men would line up just to sit in her section. Dorothy loved to play tricks on her customers. She would tell the story of how she had trick cigarettes. Someone would ask her if she had a cigarette and she would happily say “Sure!” She would even light it for them and bang! She’d laugh!

One of those young men was Bob Sale, a street car conductor and insurance salesman. He was known as “Chick” Sale. He would ask her out over and over and finally she agreed. Bob was a widower with a young son named Bobby.

The two families were brought together under one roof “Brady Bunch” style in October of 1952. At 31 Dorothy gave birth to Georgia, three years later Daniel was born. Bob and Dorothy converted to the Mormon Church and were married in the temple in 1965.

In 1970, at age five, Anna became a permanent member of our family.

Bob and Dorothy eventually purchased dry cleaning businesses and laundromats in Pacifica. Many family members worked at one of the businesses. When they sold their businesses in the late 70’s, Dorothy went to work for the California Fabricare Institute and traveled throughout California educating drycleaners. Dorothy had a feather pillow business; she serviced hotel accounts and dry cleaners, driving all over the Bay Area with feathers flying.

Dorothy loved her family. She loved people. Over the years she opened her heart and her home to friends and family. Always a kind word, the voice of reason,

a listening ear, you could count on that from Dorothy.

Dorothy loved to drive, sing one line to 50 songs, eat snicker bars, watch Van Dam movies, arm wrestling and mind over matter. Think hot she’d say when you shivered “I’m cold”.

Dorothy moved in with Georgia shortly after Bob passed away in 1989. Dorothy remarried a family friend, Leonard Grove in April of 1999 and moved to Shasta Lake. She cared for Lenny for seven years.

In 2005, Dorothy knew her memory was faltering and went to the doctors. By 2006 she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Dorothy moved back in with Georgia shortly after Leonard passed away in 2007. Dorothy spent the last 9 years comforting elders at her daycare, alerting the staff when someone looked pale or needed help going to the bathroom. It got to the point that when someone new showed up they sat them next to Dorothy, she was the “welcome wagon”. Dorothy loved flirting with the gents and would often be found holding hands with one on Monday and yet another on Tuesday.

Dorothy is survived by 7 children, 34 grandchildren, 81 great grandchildren and 49 great great grandchildren.

After 90 years of a life well lived, we waved to her as she crossed the rainbow bridge to be received by loved ones on the other side.