Dorothy Joan Schramm, 69, devoted mother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend, an enthusiastic volunteer and very respected professional business woman succumbed to lung cancer on Thursday March 10, 2011.

She leaves her much loved family including her daughter Bethany Schramm, sister Elaine and husband Mike Lisitano of Connecticut, brother Bronislaw and wife Kay Grala of New York, cousin Gregory Lukowski and wife Ruth of Connecticut. She also leaves several godchildren, three nieces, two nephews, and two grand-nieces, as well as her devoted and loyal friend Kasey Cockrell.

Born in New Britain, Connecticut, to Bronislaw and Pauline Gadomski Grala, Dorothy graduated from Mary Immaculate Academy Class of 1959 and Hillyer College, University of Hartford, to which she had won a full four year academic scholarship and became a member of the Delta Phi Alpha Sorority. Dorothy was the first woman, in fact the first person, in the family to get a college degree.

Dottie has been a resident of Orange County for 36 years. She was an avid volunteer, and during her years in Mission Viejo, was a passionate communicant and volunteer at St. Killian’s Roman Catholic Church, serving as a CCD instructor, Eucharistic minister, and a member of the Stephen’s ministry. She was a constant, stabilizing influence in the Women’s Kairos ministry, working in Victorville, and was an active coordinator for the Cursillo ministry.

Dottie had been in the insurance industry for over 25 years. She worked for Safeguard Healthplan, first HMO Dental company in the United States, and played a critical role in the establishment of the regional office which was the first office to contract with over 1, 000, 000 members. She also helped establish a regional office for Western Dental Insurance Company, where she earned top salesperson of the year for two consecutive years. She has been most recently affiliated with Aflac Insurance. She qualified for the majority of the first year Aflac ‘Rookie’ awards. She was dedicated, loyal, and extremely supportive to her manager. She loved helping clients, and had a ‘do what ever it takes’ attitude, sometimes driving to remote areas to see her clients at 4 am and doing paperwork on the hood of her car with headlights on for the only source of light.

In Dottie’s rare spare moments, she enjoyed a good round of golf. She also enjoyed vacationing ‘back East’ or traveling with her sister and brother-in-law. She was firm to her Polish heritage, and enjoyed keeping the holiday traditions, especially ‘Vigielia’ at Christmas.

Dottie was much loved and will be sorely missed by so many.

A Memorial Service is planned for March 11, Friday evening 7-9 at the O’Connor Mortuary on Alicia Parkway. A Funeral Mass will be held at St Killian’s Roman Catholic Church at 10:00 am Saturday, March 12, 2011.

Burial will be at the convenience of the family at a future date in New Britain, Connecticut.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Lung Association or to the Kairos Prison Ministry, Kairos-Victorville Treasurer, 18342 Piper Place, Yorba Linda, Ca. 92886. Please call St. Kilian Church at 949 586-4440 for further information about Kairos-Victorville Prison Ministry.