Dorothy Grace Gemma Mulhall was born on January 12, 1932 in Providence, RI to Philomema (Boschetti) and Rocco Gemma. As the youngest of eight children, Dorothy grew up in a tight-knit Italian Catholic family where God, family, and hard work were strongly instilled.

On a fateful evening with her best friend at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet dancehall, she caught the eye of her future husband, William. Little did she know of the journey on which this meeting would take her: 63 years of marriage, 7 children, 9 grandchildren, 3 states lived in, and numerous countries travelled.

Dorothy's children were her pride and joy. When she wasn't in the kitchen preparing the absolute best home-cooked meals imaginable for her family (Throughout the years, many have attempted to duplicate her unforgettable meatballs, but, no one could ever come close), Dorothy had a passion for helping others and making anyone who walked in her front door feel like a part of the family. She would not let anyone leave her home without providing them with a full belly, making sure they were wearing a warm enough coat and enough gas in their car to get to their destination or even enough toilet paper in their home. Dorothy was a true humanitarian. She would give the shirt off of her back to those in need. If she had it, it was yours.

Never being one who was happy having idle hands, Dorothy was always finding ways to stay active outside the home. In spite of her genetic neurological disorder, Charcot Marie Tooth (aka CMT), Dorothy was constantly involved with church organizations/groups/functions such as the Women's Counsel, Family Ministries, Italian Catholic Federation, Pro Sanctity, and confirmation preparations. She often took on random jobs to keep her occupied such as a bank teller, a foot reflexologist, a telemarketer, a receptionist for the Diocese of Orange, and even a switchboard operator at Disneyland hotel where she would love to tell the stories of the interesting conversations she would overhear. But no other job was more important to her than being a devout matriarch to her family.

Music was a great love of Dorothy's, which she passed along to her children. From Classical, to Country, to the crooners (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Neil Diamond, Andrea Bochelli, and Il Divo, to name a few), she could often be caught singing, dancing or playing the piano to her favorite tunes.

She loved traveling. Her favorite destination was Las Vegas. Once you got her around the slot machines, it could be hours until you'd see her again. She always knew that the next pull of the handle was going to be the big jackpot. That positive and hopeful attitude she had in the casinos was the same outlook that she had in her approached to life.

Dorothy loved to have fun and had the best laugh. She would find humor in just about anything. She oozed personality and charm making friends with anyone and everyone who crossed her path. (Although, she could spot a phony from a mile away.) She had a great talent of smooth taking anyone into anything. Her family joked that she could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo.

Her unconditional love and selflessness will be greatly missed. Her family takes great comfort in knowing that her legacy will live on through those lives that she touched during her 85 years. She was an angel here on earth that has now found a place amongst her own in Heaven.

She is survived by her husband William J. Mulhall, Jr.; her children William III, Patrick, Michael, Linda and Jennifer; her daughters-in-law, Vonnie, Terry, and Ginger; and 9 grandchildren. Her death was preceded by her sons Baby Boy and Eric, her parents, as well as her four brothers and three sisters.

Service information:
When: Wednesday, August 9

Where: Saint Martha's Catholic Church, 37200 Whitewood Road, Murrieta, CA 92563

Time: 11:00

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dorothy's favorite charities:

Charcot Marie Tooth Association – https://www.cmtausa.org

Or

Pro Sanctity Center – http://www.prosanctity.net