Obituary of Dorothea Ann Guess

"Hilarious; the funniest person I ever knew; a firecracker; a "trip"...these are a few of the words used to describe a woman who could not be adequately defined, yet had so much impact to those who met her. Whether you knew Dorothy for years or had just cashed her out at the Dollar Store, you were left either laughing or wonderfully stunned in the wake of her continual comments and observations. What truly defines a life of impact and significance? Relationships. Dorothy was curious and caring. Interested in people, she took the time to learn about them. Dorothy was regularly included in social circles of her adult children as well as enjoying going out to breakfast with her college aged granddaughter and her friends. She enjoyed the company of people as much as they enjoyed hers. She understood the real value of life...to appreciate and be grateful for what you have. Savor the seemingly "small" things...a brewed cup of coffee, the newspaper regularly delivered, lunch with a friend, being with family and helping out with their daily laundry and dishes because she could remember and appreciate the work needed in raising her own family. Dorothy's humor will be her most well remembered trait, but what also defined her, more personally to her family, was her resilient nature. Her heart of gratefulness springs from decades of personal trials and her faith in the Lord. With integrity and determination, she did not succumb to, but rose up to the challenges that came her way as she kept her sights on the goal of successfully raising her family. A native of Buffalo, New York, Dorothy was married for 29 years to Harry C. Guess, who passed away in 1992. She was predeceased by her father, William P. Dolan, and beloved brother, Gerald, of Dallas, Texas. Her "mothers in love" were Zita Trabert and Dorothy's aunt, Helene (Dolan) Walsh. Dorothy will be forever missed by her daughter, Sally (Guess) DePalma; son-in-law, Richard; granddaughters, Allison and Leah of Tampa; daughter, JoAnn Guess of Detroit; "daughter in love", Hilary Staszak of Connecticut, and friends and family between Tampa and Western New York. In lieu of flowers, please donate to one of Dorothy's favorite charities, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, The ASPCA or Metropolitan Ministries. Any charity that blesses animals or a local food bank would be appreciated. A Celebration of Life is being planned and details are yet to follow.