Dorothy Mary Rossi, age 81, of Saint Charles, Missouri passed away on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. She was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts on April 21, 1939 to Herbert and Ethel Babineau (nee Johnson).
Dorothy worked for many years as an executive secretary in the field of engineering, transcribing and typing more than one hundred words per minute. Upon retirement, she became even busier as she built up her sewing business, The Wicked Stitch of the West. She always met the varied needs of her customers with a smile, whether she was sewing patches on vests for leather-clad bikers, creating recital costumes for ballerinas or altering layers of delicate fabric for an exacting bride's wedding dress. She specialized in making custom alterations affordable for everyone; she also provided her sewing services to her church and for community service projects. Dorothy loved helping people. When her daughters were growing up, she helped lead their Girl Scout troops; she mothered many foster kids and even served as a Big Sister in her youth. More recently, she volunteered with the St. Joachim & Ann Care Service. She also loved reading. Sorting books with her friends on Monday mornings for the library district was truly the highlight of Dorothy's week. Their comraderie and friendship carried her with joy in the final years of her life, when she was beset with health challenges. In addition to being a faithful Catholic, Dorothy was a thrifty and industrious Yankee, which meant that she was seldom idle. In her free time, Dorothy enjoyed camping with her family and later, with her husband and camping clubs; she was an avid crafter and when she was not holding a book, she could be found knitting, crocheting or embroidering beautiful and useful items to display in her home or give away.
Dorothy is survived by her husband, George Rossi; her daughters, Sandra (Jeffrey) Prince, Margery (Andrew Torres) Rossi, and Teresa (Ray) Oster; her grandchildren, Dominic Prince, Josette Prince, Luke Torres-Rossi, Jonathan Torres-Rossi, Melissa Layton, and Joseph Nesslage; and her sister, Alice Smith. She will be dearly missed by many other family members and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Ethel Rose Babineau.
Services for Dorothy will be private. Family and friends may participate virtually on Friday, October 23, 2020 at 11:00 am CST via the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84184305872?pwd=VUIwYlNKTW9nVm5XaG9BN0VWWXZaUT09
Meeting ID: 841 8430 5872
Passcode: 079364
A recording of the service will be available from the family following the funeral service.
Memorial contributions may be made out in Dorothy's name to St. Charles City-County Library Foundation at: https://www.stchlibraryfoundation.org/ways-to-give.
or by becoming a Friend of the Library at: https://www.mylibrary.org/friends-membership-info
To share a memory of Dorothy or leave a special message for her family, please visit the guestbook below.