Our beloved sister and aunt, Dorothy Barbara Rozanski (née Pawlowski), has completed her life’s journey. She passed away on Saturday, October 17 – Sweetest Day – to be reunited with her sweetheart and husband of 34 years, Leonard. Dorothy was 96 years old.

Dorothy was born on February 6, 1930, in Armstrong Creek, WI. Technically, she was born on February 5, but her father didn’t notify the local hospital until the 6th, so that’s the date that was put on her birth certificate. She and her six siblings grew up on a farm in rural Wisconsin. They did indeed walk to school both ways, even through the snow during the winter. Life during the Depression may have been difficult, but those weren’t the memories that lasted. Rather, they would talk about playing in the snow in the winter or swimming in the lake during the summer. Christmas was memorable for the children, as they decorated the tree with whatever paper ornaments and other decorations they could get. Dorothy recalled making fudge at Christmastime and letting it cool on the windowsill.

Like many of her six siblings, Dorothy moved to Chicago when she finished school in Wisconsin. She met Len through her next-door neighbor, and the two were wed on September 24, 1966. She went to work for Proctor & Gamble as a secretary and remained there until her retirement. Though the Pawlowski children all married and raised families of their own, they remained close. Five sisters lived with their families in the Chicagoland area, and holidays and other special occasions were often spent together. Len and Dorothy had no children of their own, but they doted on their nieces and nephews. If you were a child getting a goodbye hug from Aunt Dorothy at the end of an evening, you usually ended up with a $20 bill tucked into your hand!

Len and Dorothy made for a great team and were utterly fearless. They loved to travel and loved finding new favorite places to eat. They vacationed around the world, touring through Germany and Poland and going on cruises. They would hop in the car in a heartbeat to take the nieces or nephews wherever they wanted to go, whether it was the Sears Tower in downtown Chicago or an out-of-state college hundreds of miles away.

When Len died in 2000, we wondered how Dorothy would get along without her partner. Showing the inner strength that was a part of all the Pawlowski children, she forged a new life for herself. She still traveled, most frequently to spend time in Wisconsin with her family. She began playing ping-pong and was a tough opponent into her 90s. But if you got tired of having her beat you, she’d be just as happy to play rummy or dominoes or just sit at the dining room table with a cup of coffee, laughing and joking and sharing stories. Up to the last week of her life, Dorothy maintained her independence, driving herself around in her 26-year-old minivan. Her memory was as sharp as her sense of humor, and she kept notebooks in her home filled with current events or fascinating facts she learned.

Dorothy and Len made Des Plaines, IL, their home in 1966. They started attending St. Zachary Catholic Church shortly after, and she remained a parishioner there for the rest of her life. Dorothy’s faith was extremely important to her, and she embodied the tenets of faith, hope and charity. She donated to numerous charities, including St. Jude, Operation Smile and Shriners International. She was also there to lend a helping hand to members of her family if any were in need.

Dorothy is survived by her sister, Jeannette Lisk, and an extended family of nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents, Jan (John) and Bronislava (Bernice) Pawlowski; her husband Leonard; sisters Josephine (Jack) Rafats, Anna (George) Gazdziak; Mary (Ben) Kurcz; and Celia (George) Ustupski; brother Edward (Clare Jean) Pawlowski; brothers-in-law John Lisk, Edmund (Shirley) Rozanski, and Edwin (Theresa) Rosanski; and sisters-in-law Irene Rozanski, Florence Rozanski, and Mary Rozanski.

A funeral Mass will take place at Saint Zachary Catholic Church (567 W. Algonquin Rd, Des Plaines) on Friday, October 23, 2026, at 11:30am. Visitation will take place at the church an hour before the Mass. Entombment will take place at St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery (6800 N. Milwaukee Ave., Niles). In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice in Dorothy’s memory. Funeral care provided by G.L. Hills Funeral Home and Cremation Center. For more information, please visit www.glhillsfuneralhome.com.