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Dollie J. Walizer Deitrich, 94, of Mingoville, Pa., died April 28, 2024 at home surrounded by family. She had been in declining health since December.
Dollie was born Oct. 6, 1929 in Castanea, Pa., near Lock Haven, the third child of the late George and Margaret Catherman Walizer. She was named after her aunt.
She grew up in Mill Hall, where she played basketball for three years at Mill Hall High School. Her favorite subject in school was math. She graduated as salutatorian, and nervously gave a speech at commencement in front of her proud parents and the assembly.
Later in life, after a business career, she graduated from the Vo-Tech School of Dentistry.
When Dollie's baby sister, Myrtle, was learning to talk, she could say "Dot" but not "Dollie." After that Dollie became Dot, and later Aunt Dot, within her family.
As a teenager, Dollie and older sister, Nora, worked at the well-known Dutch Inn Restaurant in Mill Hall. They had many happy memories of working for the proprietor, Professor Ned Hills, who always drove them home at night, though it was not a far walk. When World War II ended, the sisters rang the large bell in the garden of the Dutch Inn, while bells rang out all over Mill Hall.
Dollie had a pen pal in Australia. A fan of Hollywood, Dollie kept a scrapbook of photos and stories about movie stars. When she got tired of it, she decided to send it to her Australian friend, who was thrilled with the gift.
When her parents moved to Hublersburg, Pa., to run a small restaurant, Dollie met a handsome redhead whose buddies did call him Red. She didn't know his name; however, that changed.
After more than 75 years of marriage, Dollie is survived by her husband Don "Red" Deitrich; son, Jerry; beloved daughter-in-law, Nicki; and son, Woodrow; sisters, Nora Mayes and Myrtle Heverly; and sister-in-law, Leah Walizer, wife of brother John.
She is also survived by sisters-in-law, Phyllis Deitrich Wallace, (lifelong friend and golf buddy), Marlene Deitrich Emerick and brother-in-law, Kay Emerick and Judith Deitrich; and two dozen nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her parents; an infant sister, Margaret; and a brother, John Walizer.
Dollie was an active person. In adulthood, she enjoyed square dancing and bowling. With the bowlers she traveled to Las Vegas and the Rose Bowl parade, where they got a memorable behind the scenes tour. In her fifties she took up golf at the Nittany Country Club. She enjoyed many friendships with the golfing ladies and eventually was good enough to win runner-up honors in the first flight of the ladies championship. She survived colon cancer in her mid-seventies, and continued golfing until she was 80.
Dollie was a working Mom. After Don built their new home in Lemont in 1957, she worked in downtown State College at Montgomery Wards, Penn State and Danks Department Store, in the dress section. She once had an interesting and enjoyable time helping a new customer at Danks, who was new to America, pick out her American wardrobe.
When the boys were still young, Dollie would come home from work, immediately put on an apron and have a hot meal ready when Don pulled in the driveway.
When the new Nittany Mall opened in the late 1960s, Dollie was hired to supervise the office, service desk and post office in the Penn Traffic Department Store. She occasionally came home late, saying "We found that penny." She and her staff had to count all the cash from the store registers and reconcile the amounts exactly with the receipts. After many years she retired from the office and went out on the floor to work part-time in the dress department. Helping women choose attractive outfits was enjoyable work for Dollie.
In retirement, Dollie enjoyed cross-country road trips with Don to the west coast and northwest, a train trip to New Orleans, up to Chicago and back home, several trips to PGA golf tournaments and major league baseball games, and a 50th anniversary trip to Hawaii. For several years she joined sister Nora and Nora's son, Sam, his wife Kim and daughter Lindsay, for a summer vacation at the shore. Dollie loved to swim. She was up for a trip anywhere, especially winter trips to Florida. Her trips abroad included Bermuda, England, France and Switzerland.
In her later years Dollie read a lot of books, did puzzles, played Solitaire and search games on her Nook tablet and watched The Price Is Right, Hazel, Andy Griffith, the Golden Girls and the Mollie B Polka Party. She disliked nature shows that Don watched, which she called "animals eating animals."
She was a big fan of Penn State football and women's volleyball and the New York Mets. She loved going out to eat, as often as possible, even after it got hard to get in and out of the car. A good meal had to include pie.
The family thanks nieces Kim and Nadine for their loving care above and beyond and Dr. Mark Rozick, MD, who cared for Dollie for decades.
Services were held at the Singer Kader Neff Funeral Home in Howard on May 1, 2024.