Dorothy Veronica Grover (nee Kelly), age 86, of Lansdale, PA, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2026, surrounded by family. She is survived by numerous family members and loved ones, including her husband of 64 years – Jerry; children – Gary, Don (Patty), and Alan (Gittan); grandchildren – Kelly, Scott (Kelsey), Olivia, Tyler, Paige, and Collin; a great grandchild – Allison; Siblings – Jane, Teresa, Jim (Ellen), and Marian; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents – Theresa and John; and by her brothers – Jack, Bob, and Joe.
Affectionately known as Dottie or Dossie to friends and family, she was born in July 1939 in Philadelphia, PA, and grew up in a close-knit community on Wade Street in Germantown. She attended the St. Francis of Assisi School and Little Flower High School for Girls in Philadelphia, graduating in 1957. After graduation, she worked at the Eastern PA Psychiatric Institute and later at Philco Ford, where she met her husband, beginning a lifelong partnership and family.
In the summer of 1966, Philco was looking for people to go to Thailand to work and, while Jerry wasn’t interested at first, Dottie thought it would be an exciting adventure. In March of 1967, with three boys under the age of 5, they sold their house and car and moved halfway around the world to Thailand, visiting Hawaii and Japan on the way. After 18 months of adventures in Thailand, they returned home, visiting six cities in Europe and completing the family’s trip around the world.
Settling in Lansdale, Dottie ran a lively and adventurous household, keeping us closely connected with extended family and the cherished friends she and dad made at Philco. Keeping family and friends close was always her priority, marked by frequent phone calls (everyone knew Grandmom was “one ring”) and countless gatherings for holidays, birthdays, or simply because she loved having everyone together. She and Dad also hosted the annual family picnic many times over the years. They also gathered regularly with “The Gang” — their lifelong Philco friends — to picnic, play cards, and enjoy the games that became traditions in their own right.
As the children grew, Dottie took them on adventures to Washington DC, Chicago, Denver, Florida, and some of the other places Jerry traveled for work. Summer vacations were often spent in the Finger Lakes in NY. In 1979, Dottie went to work at DeVoe’s Music store in Lansdale, and later at H&R Block.
In 1985, Jerry was transferred to Washington DC and a whole new set of adventures began. Dottie loved the growing family and giving tours of the area to anyone who visited. Jerry retired in 1999, so he and Dottie moved back to PA and spent 14 years in Audubon.
In 2013, Dottie and Jerry gave up the single-family home in Audubon and moved to the Brittany Pointe Estates retirement community, where they met a whole new group of friends and neighbors, now with built-in dinner and happy-hour companions. Dottie cherished these relationships dearly.
Family has been central to Dossie, with many trips and sharing all of life’s ups and downs. Routines like weekly Zoom calls helped the family stay in touch with everyone. Girls’ Week at Jimmy’s (brother) and Ellen’s shore house, holidays, and other gatherings were all sacred affairs. The Kelly sisters, indeed, all the Kelly girls, understood what it meant to keep a family together. Our universe will not be the same without Dottie hosting, staying in touch, and bringing in third and fourth cousins to our fold.
A longstanding ancestry hobbyist, she spent hours researching, documenting, and meeting relatives from far-reaching branches of her family tree.
Dottie volunteered for several causes, including a senior transportation community service and several clubs and causes at Brittany Pointe. Her sense of adventure and interest in helping others led her to donate her body to science to help young doctors learn for the greater good.
In lieu of flowers, Dottie would want you to enjoy time with loved ones and donate to your favorite charity, such as the American Cancer Society. She was a light to her family and friends, always bringing people together with warmth and care. Dottie wanted no mourners. A celebration of her life will be held in the coming weeks.