Dorothy E. Bednarowicz was born July 25, 1918, in Kenosha, Wis., to Philip A. and Esther M. (Thomey) Bleicher.
She died September 15, 2016, at Good Samaritan Village, Fort Collins, Colorado. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday, September 21, 2016, followed by a Memorial Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m., both at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 5450 S. Lemay Ave., Fort Collins. A reception will follow the Mass. Her cremated remains will be laid to rest in Kenosha.
Dorothy is survived by her daughter, Jean Marie Clark and son-in-law, Dr. Warren J. Clark, of Fort Collins; brother, Dr. Philip A. Bleicher (and his wife, Virginia) of Salinas, Calif.; sister-in-law, Mary Skowronski of Kenosha; brother-in-law, Alvin Grant of Wauwatosa, Wis.; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ed who died in 2013; her parents; Ed's parents; sister, Lucile Grant; brother, Robert Bleicher and his wife, Katherine; brothers-in-law, Ted Skowronski, Chester Bednarowicz and Francis Bednarowicz; and sister-in-law, Clarabelle Horton.
Dorothy went through the Kenosha Schools and St. Thomas Grade School and graduated in 1936 from Kenosha High School. Later, she received her Nursing Certification from St. Mary's School of Nursing in Milwaukee, graduating in 1943. She later attended St. Mary's School of Medical Technology in Racine. Dorothy graduated from Dominican College in Racine in 1963 with a B.S. in Medical Technology and also graduated in 1996 from the Catholic Biblical School in Denver.
On April 25, 1953, Dorothy married Edward Bednarowicz at St. Mark's Church in Kenosha. She worked as a nurse and as a medical technologist at St. Mary's Hospital in Racine and, for 25 years at St. Catherine's Hospital in Kenosha. They lived for many years in Kenosha and retired to Fort Collins in 1989 to be closer to their daughter and son-in-law.
Dorothy was never one to stay idle, so after moving to Ft. Collins, she joined the Newcomers Club and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. She later joined and was active in the Aspen Club and RSVP, the Ft. Collins Senior Center, AARP, the Confraternity of Christian Mothers and the Catholic Biblical School Graduate Alumnae. She also participated in the Kenosha High School Alumnae and St. Mary's School of Nursing Alumnae.
Dorothy's Catholic faith guided her throughout her life. She had a "magnetic personality" as so many were drawn to her. She acquired many life-long friendships; was a very caring and fun person; and just loved to laugh.