Dorothy Agnes Spall Obituary
On March 15, 2023, Dorothy (Skelly) Spall passed into heaven at the age of 89 from complications of Alzheimer's Disease. Born and raised in Rochester, NY to Charles and Mary Skelly, she was one of six children. Devoted wife of 66 years to Ray Spall, their marriage brought them the blessings of four children: Jim (Columbia, MD), John (Knoxville, TN), Ellen (Charlotte, NC), Maureen (Knoxville, TN) and ten grandchildren. Dorothy was 100% devoted to family and loved nothing more than sharing time and laughs with the kids and grandkids!
Growing up in Rochester, she attended parochial schools, graduating from Nazareth Academy. She was introduced to Ray on a blind date and love and marriage soon followed. They started life together in Milwaukee where Ray was in engineering school. By the time he graduated, they had their first two children. These were the lean years in their marriage and it was during this time that Dorothy honed her family management skills and love of clearance racks. Through the years, she balanced home-centered work with office jobs, teacher's aide, and volunteer work in church and communities wherever they lived. Dorothy was also a sewing "entrepreneur" and made many hundreds of fabric purses and children's books which she sold in local craft stores.
Dorothy and Ray were lucky to live in a variety of locations throughout their married life, but a highlight for her was the 5 years that they lived in Mexico with General Motors. She loved the challenge of running a home and family in a different country and was quick to learn how to negotiate at the local markets. They lived for many years in Hendersonville, NC after retirement and thoroughly enjoyed the southern climate, great golf, and great neighbors. During those years, she and Ray covered a lot of ground on cruises, golf trips, family trips, and romantic getaways. She was a friend to all, a happy golfer, a caring neighbor, a loving mother, a playful grandmother, and the most fabulous spouse!
Always proud of her Irish heritage, it's fitting that Dorothy passed in March - her favorite month. No one in the family ever forgot to "wear the green" on St. Patrick's Day! She was without a doubt our own Leprechaun. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11am on Friday, March 31st at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC. Her graveside ceremony will follow at 1pm at Forest Lawn East Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Western Carolina Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association @ http://www.alz.org or your, own favorite charity as a way to spread the love!
