Webster, NY- July 28, 2020 at 89 years old. Dottie, as most people knew her, is predeceased by her husband John Gilmore, brother Paul Willett, sisters Grace Powell and Agnes King, son Robert Gilmore; and grandsons William Gilmore and baby John Gilmore. She is survived by her children John Gilmore, Michael Gilmore (Barbara Bancroft), Jeanine Makhatadze-Zilinskas, Donna Gilmore-Castle (Dale Castle), Richard Gilmore (Fay Gilmore), James Gilmore (Dawn Gilmore); grandchildren Miriah Gilmore, Timothy Gilmore, Aurora Norman (Marlos), Patrick Gilmore (Jonalie), Alison Gilmore, Michael Mead (Melissa), Laura Barber, Sarah Castle, Christopher Gilmore, Marina Willis (Keith), Tyler Gilmore, Shannon Gilmore; along with 9 great grandchildren and 6 great great grandchildren.
Her selfless, kindhearted, optimistic personality capped by her ever present smile filled the room with joy. She managed the Wegmans Eastway Fabric Department and lead inventory at all the other stores as well. Her love of sewing resulted in clothes for her children and many garments on display in the store. When her vision worsened and she could no longer thread a needle, she donated ten boxes of material for chemo blankets to be made for cancer patients.
She was the most loving and caring mom to all her seven children. She adored all her grandchildren no matter how great they were. She would do anything for all of them and always put everyone before herself. Dottie proved that laughter was the best medicine because it enabled her to fully recover from major surgeries and illnesses over the years. She insisted to walk up and down the 13 steps to her upstairs and basement until a week before her passing. “If you don’t use it, you will lose it.”
Traveling was another favorite pastime. It started with stowing away in her aunt’s car as a 6 year old child to leave her grandmother’s tobacco farm in southeast Maryland and not being discovered until arriving in Washington DC where she finished growing up and attended St Paul’s Academy. It continued with yearly visits from Webster to the DC metro area to celebrate Thanksgiving with relatives with her husband driving the station wagon full of kids in the back seat and way-back area. A six week trip around the entire US again in the trusty family station wagon along with trips to many Navy ports to visit her daughter and her family, even flying to Hawaii. Even after losing her central vision, she continued to travel with her husband and later with her family and friends to Alaska, Central Europe, Ireland, and Italy. Often times she was the navigator!
Never letting blindness stop her, Dottie continued to do everything for herself all the way up until her passing. She was determined to stay in her home until the end, which she succeeded to do. Dorothy passed very peacefully without pain or struggle in her bed with family at her side at 10:33am.
We will all miss her, but her guiding spirit will live on within us.
Dorothy’s Catholic Funeral Mass will be at Holy Cross Church, 4492 Lake Avenue, Rochester, NY 14612 at 11am on Wednesday August 19, 2020. Internment immediately following at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery with her wake at Curry Lodge at Kent Park in Webster, NY. from 4:00-9:00. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), 422 S. Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14620-1198 in Dorothy’s name.
All are welcome, but due to Covid considerations, we recognize that many who wish to join us may not be able to and we respect that. The Funeral Mass will be live streamed from HolyCrossRochester.org and we will have a GoogleMeet session set-up at the celebration gathering to enable everybody to be a part of Dorothy’s celebration. Contact Jim or your family representative for details.
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