Mrs. Dorothy Mary Stanfill

Dorothy “Dot” Stanfill, 98, passed away smiling on May 30, 2024. Dot was born in Paulsboro, New Jersey, on November 7, 1925, to Harry and Emily Carney. She married the love of her life, Ralph Stanfill, in 1945. Dot was the mother of three beautiful girls, Janice, Sheril, and Donna. Her family moved to a farm in Maine where they had, amongst other animals, two naughty ducks named Donald and Daisy. Eventually, Ralph, Dot, and their youngest daughter, Donna, traded in their snow boats for flip flops moving to Winter Haven in 1967. Dot cared for Ralph as he suffered from cancer until he passed away in 1981. Forever the consummate caregiver, she then cared for her mother, Emily, until she passed away at the age of 93. Dot loved to tell stories about her family. Her granddaughters, Heidi Parker (Janice and Richard) and Brooke Beebe (Donna and David), loved to hear stories of Donald and Daisy eating tomatoes from the garden and untying people’s shoelaces. Heidi convinced her to make banana pudding without the bananas and then eventually without the pudding (the Nilla Wafers really are the best part!). She loved to do crossword puzzles with Brooke. Later, when her only grandson, Stephen (Donna and David), came along, she became an expert at making his favorite dessert, Peanut Butter Pie. She was an amazing cook and amassed the largest collection of recipes from magazines and newspapers, but she always made her family’s favorites. You could always count on Dot to bring her homemade meatballs and a coconut cream pie to her church’s potluck dinners. Dot was a devoted Christian and forged some of her closest friendships with members of her beloved church, Inman Park Baptist Church. She sang in the choir, rarely ever missed a service, and was an unpaid Uber driver (before Uber even existed) for many of her friends who could no longer drive to church. She was the first one to visit a sick congregation member and one of the first in line to comfort them when a loved one passed. Dot’s faith in God kept her smiling until she left this world. Dot loved her family; they brought her more joy than anything else in this world. She was the third of four siblings: Harry Carney, Jr., Gladys Di Lullo, and Paul Carney. She was blessed that her siblings all married people that Dot loved and adored as if they were her own brothers and sisters. Her daughters, all amazing and each uniquely talented, were the apples of her eye. She was so proud of all their accomplishments. She also loved their husbands as if they were her own sons. Richard Yutzy, Janice’s husband, spoke Dot’s love language-acts of service! He was always ready to do some chore for Dot when he visited. Michael Tatum, Sheril’s husband, tenderly cared for Dot as if she were his own mother. David Beebe, Donna’s first husband, remained close to Dot referring to her as one of the best women he ever knew. She became a second mother to her nephew, John Di Lullo, his wife, Myrna, and their daughter, Gabrielle, when they moved to Florida. Let’s face it, everyone was family when you walked through Dot’s doors. But Dot’s greatest love was the love she had for her grandchildren, great-grandchild, and great-great grandchildren. Heidi and Brooke adored their “Granny” and shared a special bond with her. They loved to cook with her when they visited. Brooke was fortunate enough to take Granny to Ireland to explore her ancestry. Stephen, the only male grandchild, was all too happy to tell Granny how much he loved all her desserts. When her first and only great-grandchild, Brittany Buss, was born, Dot’s infectious laughter could be heard from Florida to North Carolina. She was blessed to live long enough to see the birth of her great-great grandchildren, Matthew and Norah Buss, and she loved them dearly. Her final days were spent playing Go Fish with Norah, laughing, and watching her adopted cats play on her patio. Dot was a ray of sunshine in this world. She was kind, tender-hearted, sweet, good-natured, loving, and caring. There are not enough words to describe how wonderful she was. Her speech was greatly affected in her later years, but she could always clearly say, “I love you.” And everyone loved her, so very, very much. Her family’s world became a little less shiny when Dot passed away, but we find comfort in knowing she is an angel in Heaven as she was here on Earth. Dot was preceded in death by her parents; siblings; her beloved husband, Ralph; her son-in-law, Richard; her daughter, Donna; and her grandson, Stephen. We know they were waiting for her at the Pearly Gates to welcome her home. Dot will be privately buried next to her husband in Clarksboro, New Jersey. In lieu of flowers, her family asks that a donation in Dot’s name be made to Inman Park Baptist Church, 1800 6th Street NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881. Arrangements by McBride – Foley Funeral Home, Paulsboro, NJ. Memories can be shared at www.mcbridefoleyfh.com.

Mrs. Dorothy Mary Stanfill

November 7, 1925 - May 30, 2024