Dorothy Smiley Malone, “Dottie,” passed away peacefully in her sleep, ending her courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease on Dec. 1, 2022 at 68 years old in Ocala, Fla.
Born Jan. 2, 1954 to H. Sanford “Sam” Smiley and Kathryn “Kay” Smiley in Doylestown, Pa., Dottie enjoyed a life of constant learning and exploration, helping out at the family business, a systems analyst/computer engineer after college at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, working with Honeywell and later Electronic Data Systems, at one point, having a security clearance working with the United States Navy. Other pursuits included being a licensed pilot and ground instructor, and although not flying the plane, she enjoyed the rare treat of flying at twice the speed of sound, miles into the atmosphere, seeing the curvature of the Earth aboard the British Airways Concorde before it ended service. She was well traveled, even experiencing Russia while it was still the Soviet Union at a younger age and then later, Pakistan. She enjoyed training professional service dogs with Susquehanna Service Dogs as well as being skilled at quilting and sewing with her sister “Peggy,” making many fine quilts.
Dottie is survived by her husband, Michael Malone, and her sister, Susan Barron (husband Wallace). She was predeceased by her parents and her sister, Margaret “Peggy” Watson, and also survived by her brother-in-law, Rick Watson, her niece, Heather Miller (husband Chad), as well as her close cousins, Nancy Hagerty (husband Drew), and Kathy Lewis, and Dottie’s Aunt Dorothy Lewis as well as other first cousins she grew up with.
A special thanks to Marion County Hospice and Visiting Angels (Linda) for all their services and help.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
