Dorothy White

Dorothy Tarantino White passed away on March 18, 2022, at MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care of Littleton, Colorado.  She was 97.

Dorothy was a wonderful daughter, wife, mother, and a constant caregiver, taking pride in her Italian heritage and family.  Growing up in North Denver, Dorothy was a proud North High Viking, class of 1942.  During World War II, Dorothy and many of her cousins enjoyed taking the streetcar to the USO to support the troops.

Once World War II was over, Dorothy met the love of her life, Ted White, who lived three doors down from her home on Perry Street.  Dorothy and Ted were married on June 18, 1949.  Before having a family and becoming a stay-at-home Mom to Cheryl and Gary, Dorothy was a Legal Secretary.  The pinnacle of her successful career was when she was the legal secretary for Ralph L Carr after his Colorado Governorship.

Dorothy’s love of softball, which she and her sister Lucille played while growing up, helped her teach Gary the game when he was a boy.  This was something Gary has always enjoyed bragging about.  Dorothy lived near the original Elitch Gardens and took tap dancing lessons in the Trocadero Ballroom.  Later in life, Dorothy enjoyed camping, fishing, and car trips with Ted and her kids.  The love of car trips continued to the very end of her life.

After Ted passed, Dorothy’s cousins, Josephine, and Loretta, invited her to join their monthly Bunco group.  Dorothy enjoyed Bunco so much that she started a second Bunco group with her kids and their friends.  Dorothy’s love of family led her to coordinate monthly Cousins’ Lunches, which are continuing to this day with the next generation.

Dorothy enjoyed scrapbooking with Cheryl.  Together, they made a Family Recipe Book, an Italian Holiday Book, a Family Heritage Book, and an Italians in North Denver book.  This last book took Dorothy, Cheryl, and Gary on several very enjoyable weekend tours of North Denver.  It can be seen on the 5th floor of the main branch of the Denver Public Library.

Dorothy spent the last two and a half years of her life living at MorningStar Assisted Living and Memory Care of Littleton.  Her loving nature endeared her to the MorningStar staff who became a much-loved part of her family.

Services for Dorothy will be held at 11:00 am on June 22, 2022, at Horan & McConaty, 3101 S Wadsworth Blvd, Lakewood, CO 80227.  A reception will immediately follow at Horan & McConaty.  Dorothy’s services will conclude at Fort Logan National Cemetery at 2:30 pm.  Staging at Fort Logan will occur at 2:15 pm with the location announced at the end of Dorothy’s services at Horan & McConaty.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dorothy’s name to either the Denver Teachers’ Club (1617 S Acoma St; Denver, CO 80223) or the Alzheimer’s Association (PO Box 96011; Washington DC 20090-6011).

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