Dorothy Dolan

Dorothy Dolan was born on February 9, 1934, in Baltimore, Maryland. She passed away after a brief, but fierce, battle with COVID-19.

Dorothy was a smart, compassionate, loving, generous, hard-working, resilient, opinionated, and independent woman who built and created a fulfilling life despite her modest beginnings. She was the child of a single mother during the Great Depression. Her early years were haunted with bitter memories of hunger; rags for clothes; and living in a tiny shack with dirt floors, no insulation, and a single wood-burning stove. Dorothy pulled herself from poverty to success due to her grit, determination, and work ethic. She worked hard to create a life for herself and her loved ones, and was always giving to those around her – bringing donuts or her famous sweet-sauerkraut to family members, giving generously to causes that she supported, or sharing her opinions on the latest news in national politics. She was empathetic to helping those that needed a helping hand, seeing her own history in their plight.

Her husband, Ken Dolan, was the love of her life and her soulmate. They were inseparable and together enjoyed dancing, gardening, and eating out. Dorothy always said her greatest achievement was raising her two children, Dorothy Tiffany and Doug Williams, from her first marriage, of whom she was fiercely proud and loved with all her heart. She also dearly loved her granddaughters, Laura Williams and Shelly Avellina, and guided them since childhood to have her same determined spirit. She loved her daughter-in-law, Debbie, as her own. Her family was always her top priority and she was their greatest cheerleader, guide, and friend.

Dorothy was happiest whirling around the dance floor with her beloved Ken. They could often be found dancing somewhere locally on the weekends and loved to go on cruises, where she wore glittery sequined ballroom dancing dresses as they danced the night away.

Dorothy and Ken loved gardening together and they transformed their yard into their own Garden of Eden. Their gardens were beautiful, peaceful, and full of happiness. She also took the same care with her home - with every piece of furniture, every rug, and painting creating the visual effect that she felt was perfect.

She was a religious woman who dearly loved her church community at First United Methodist Church of Laurel, MD, and also enjoyed attending Emmanuel United Methodist Church of Laurel, MD. When she was 9-years-old, a neighbor introduced her to Jesus and the Bible. This woman gave Dorothy her first book, which was an illustrated book of Bible stories. Dorothy later read from the book to her own children and grandchildren, and cherished that book until her final days.

Her parents were Myrtle Lucille Hubble and Thomas Russell Scott. Until the age of 11 she lived with Myrtle; and then moved to Savage, Maryland with her father, stepmother, and beloved grandfather. She was determined to make a better life for herself, which she did. Dorothy accomplished anything she set her mind on. She graduated from Elkridge High School in 1952. She worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a clerk typist until her first marriage to Gene Williams in 1954 and 36 years later divorced him amicably. In 1966, after her two children were in school, Dorothy went back to work. She worked in the office of a trucking company, later worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and finally moved on to work as a committee staffer in Congress. She retired from the House Appropriations Committee, Surveys and Investigation Staff in 1999 as a clerk typist/secretary.

She lived to be 89 years old and was preceded in death by her parents, her stepfather, Clayton Craumer, her sisters, Georgia Day, Barbara Townshend, and Ethyl Shires and nephew, Thomas Day.

She is survived by her husband, Ken Dolan; her brother, Harry Shires; her daughter, Dorothy Tiffany (Walt Majerowicz); her son, Doug Williams (Debbie); her granddaughters, Laura Williams and Shelly Avellina (James); her stepchildren, Jean Stacey, Jeanette Carzon (Michael), Annie Dolan, Lawrence Dolan (Karla Ritten), Michael Dolan (Linda Thorne), and Charles Dolan (Lynn); her step-grandchildren Brianna Stacey (Ryan Allen), Abigail McCombs ( Evan), David Stacey and Daniel Stacey ( Mallory); and step-great granddaughters Cameron Stacey , Charlotte McCombs and Magnolia McCombs; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Dorothy will be deeply missed and remembered for always wearing a smile. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending donations in Dorothy’s memory to causes she cared for deeply, including:

Epilepsy Foundation- Donate here - The Epilepsy Foundation connects the people, data and resources needed to address challenging health problems associated with seizures and the epilepsies.

Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services (LARS)- Donate here - LARS provides support for Laurel homeless and low-income residents facing crisis due to illness, injury, loss of a loved one, loss of employment, or other hardships.

A Celebration of Life Service for Dorothy will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Laurel, 424 Main Street, Laurel, MD on March 13, 2023, at 10:30 am. Masks and social distancing will be REQUIRED of all attending in person at the request of the family.  The service will be broadcast real-time via these links: Dorothy Dolan Celebration of Life Service | Facebook- click here or Dorothy Dolan Celebration of Life Service I YouTube - click here .  A light lunch will follow the service in the church social hall.