Mrs. Dorothy Edwina Gallagher

Dorothy Edwina Gallagher (Dot), age 78, of Roswell, passed away on March 1, 2019. She was born December 1, 1940 in Staten Island, NY, the daughter of Dorothy and George Swanton. Dot is preceded in death by her brother George and her mother and father. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Alexander Gallagher; brother's-in-law, Jack Gallagher of Davenport, IA and Tom Gallagher of Mahwah, NJ; sister-in-law, Lynn Swanton of King George, VA; son, Ed (Colleen) Gallagher of Cumming, GA; daughter, Linda (Michael) DeCamp of Ellijay, GA; son, Mike (Lynn) Gallagher of Arlington, MA; son, Ron (Margaret) Gallagher of Norcross, GA; daughter, Debbie Gallagher of Roswell, GA; nieces, Pam, Sue (Burt), Pam; nephews, John (Kristin) and Stephen (Sharon); grandchildren, Hayley (Amar), Sarah (Bryceson), Jamie, Danny (Jessica), Elizabeth (Ben), Jacob (Caitlin), Eli, Sam, Ty, Sam, Heather, Packy, Rachel, Josh, Shaun, Angela (AJ), Jeremy and Jessica and great-grandchildren, Naveen, Jackson, Simon and Leo. Dot served as the parish bookkeeper for more than 35 years at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church before retiring last year. Dot cherished the community of St. Thomas Aquinas and immersed herself in its diversity. She attended Masses in Spanish and worked in the kitchen during the festivities surrounding the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She celebrated her Quinceañera not at age 15, when most girls do, but at age 70! Dot was involved in a number of other parish activities, including St Vincent DePaul and the night shelter for homeless men in Atlanta, but her most prized parish activity was the annual mission trip to West Virginia. Every June she drove her truck to Whitesville to work in the kitchen, feeding the dozens of teens and adults while they ministered to the area’s poor. Wherever she was, Dot was feeding people. Around the office, that meant weekly goodies - homemade rhubarb pie, carmelita cookies and other tasty treats. And she also fed the spirits of people she encountered with laughter. Her office at St. Thomas Aquinas was a homage to the world of comic strips, where an endless flow of cartoons and lampoons helped lighten the day. This was Dot’s way of reminding us to not take ourselves too seriously - one reason she kept herself and those around her young at heart. Visitation will be held on Friday, March 8th from 5PM - 8PM at Northside Chapel, 12050 Crabapple Rd, Roswell, GA 30075. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, March 9th at 11AM at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 535 Rucker Road, Alpharetta, GA 30004 followed by a reception in the parish hall. Interment will be at Green Lawn Cemetery. Dot supported many charitable organizations, so in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her honor to any of the following charities: Whispering Hope - Women's Resource and Pregnancy Center (www.supportwhisperinghope.org), Covenant House Georgia Inc - Opening Doors for Homeless Youth (www.covenanthousega.org) or Appalachian Trail Conservancy (www.appalachiantrail.org).

Mrs. Dorothy Edwina Gallagher

December 1, 1940 - March 1, 2019