Dorothy Marco Obituary

Comments read at Dody's funeral by her great niece Michele.



As I sit remembering Aunt Dody the memories come from across time. They are memories from childhood, through my teen years, to my parenthood. Here's just a small sample.



I remember playing in the wading pool in Grandma's yard on a hot summer day and Aunt Dody sunbathing on a chaise lounge beside the small pool.



I remember Aunt Dody and Aunt Rosie doing the dishes after every holiday and Sunday meal -- they were a team -- Grandma cooked, they cleaned.



I remember sleeping in the room that she and Aunt Rosie shared until one visit when I kick too hard, after which I got offered the sofa in the family room instead.



I remember the box of chocolate covered cherries hidden in her closet (always in the same place) for Dad to find EVERY time we were there!



I remember beautiful hand-knit sweaters, hats, gloves and the blanket lovingly crocheted for a wedding gift -- our children now cuddle beneath it almost every night.



I remember lemon squares -- carefully hidden 'til desert so everyone (not just Ralph)could enjoy their sweet-sour-taste atop a buttery cookie.



I remember Uncle Abe taking taxis to Grandma's house as he courted and eventually won Aunt Dody's heart and hand in marriage.



I remember the night that she and Uncle Abe married. As Mom cooked the kids dinner, there were fireworks in the kitchen as the coil on the electric stove exploded. Dad was celebrating his birthday and just happened to drive up in a new car.



I remember visiting Aunt Dody and Uncle Abe on Marine Drive for the first time. We watched the summer olympics set in Mexico (I think) together after dinner.



I remember Aunt Dody's sweet tooth. When offered food, she'd opt for smaller portions so she could save room for desert.



I remember Aunt Dody & Uncle Abe going to all the Cubs games. The ultimate Bleacher Bums!



I remember asking Aunt Dody what the best movies were that she and Grandma had seen. They were more reliable than Siskel and Ebert and somewhat more critical.



I remember Aunt Dody as frugal. She may have invented the notion of recycle and reuse. She once asked ME for hand-me-downs.



I remember Aunt Dody telling me once that when she bought a new dress it had to be in the closet for 2 to 3 years before she was ready to wear it.



I remember Aunt Dody's traveling: Mexico, Egypt, Israel, China, Florida, California and more. In later years she and Grandma would fly on discounted staff tickets I provided and she always wanted yet another discount -- to use just one more coupon.



I remember Aunt Dody holding Emma and Casey when they were infants with great patience, love and caring. And the smile that came to her face whenever any of our children were around.



I remember Aunt Dody as a sharp business woman. With a deep understanding of stocks -- tending her own for many years. Her sometimes outspoken nature and good memory for most of her life. She was a fine lady and while I'll miss her, there are lots of fine memories to remember her by.

The following "Thank You Note to Aunt Dody" was read at her funeral by her great nephew, Ralph Nach:



A Thank You Note to Aunt Dody



Dear Aunt Dody,



I am eternally grateful to be your nephew and to be part of your large and loving extended family.



Thank you for your wit, wisdom, perspectives and opinions. You always told it like it is, without sugar coating. Whether you were for or against something, we always knew where you stood. If you disapproved of something we said or did, you told us so but you never personalized it. You always gave us unconditional love and acceptance.



Thank you for your all-too-short stint as family matriarch. I can't think of anyone whose childlessness was just a technicality. Dody, you had so very many loving children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.



Thank you for the love, friendship, and companionship you gave to your brothers and sisters and thank you for the way you cared for and nurtured my dear, beloved Grandma Elsie during her last difficult years.



Thank you for presiding so proudly over the serving of your treasured lemon squares at so many wonderful family celebrations and please forgive me if I prematurely sampled them or gluttonously consumed more than my fair share.



Thank you for being so understanding of my boys when we tried to teach them to say "Doh - Dee" and they could only manage "Doh - Doh."



Finally, thank you for the wonderful people gathered here either in person or in spirit, each of whom carries with them a part of who you were and who you will forever be. For your true legacy is this family who love you and will miss you greatly.

Dodie was an extraordinary person who inspired her family and friends in many ways. The following poem was read at the gravesite service on February 19, 2004:



Lunch at Dodies



And so it was that I found myself working in Uptown,

Once a month making the trek across Argyle,

Past the Vietnamese restaurants,

Past the idle street people,

Past the old el station,

Down to the Park and Lake Front,

Over and into the once luxury apartment building,

Almost a different world,

But to my fortune part of mine.



There I would visit and lunch with Great Aunt Dodie,

The hot dogs she fed me filled my stomach,

The conversation filled my soul,

Dodie was engaged,

Not just to her immediate surroundings,

But to her family,

To politics,

To movies,

To current events,

To the world.



We talked of her trip to the Orient,

We talked of her afternoons,

With Uncle Abe in the Bleachers at Wrigley,

The trips with Grandma to Florida and California,

We talked of the family,

From the early days,

Living with her mother, brothers, and sisters,

Getting by during the Depression,

To our visits as kids to the south-side,

When she always had a prize for each of us,

Before we left for home,

To the present – to the end,

She was so proud of us all.



Then it was back to work,

And eventually changing positions,

But still even from downtown,

Ralph, Brian, and I would,

Once in a while,

Grab some deli food,

Hop the El down to Argyle,

And Lunch at Dodies.

we send our love.dody was a wonderful freind we will miss her

Thank You for being our Aunt Dody. A very special lady. A devoted sister to your brothers & sisters,and a caring Aunt with pride in your great nieces & nephews and their families.

Dody was a dear lady. Always a great sense of humor. She was a joy to be around and was a great friend to Belle and Helen. I am grateful for the time I had getting to know her and she will be sorely missed. Jon and Ellen Goldberg join me in sending our sympathy.

May she rest in peace. Shalom