Dorothy Josephine Brzoza

Dorothy J. Brzoza (Dot), 84, passed away peacefully on April 20, 2019 in Elgin, IL.

Dot formerly lived in Bensalem, PA and Naples, FL. She was born in Philadelphia on September 8, 1934 to Maksmilyan & Elizabeth (Lenio) Guzinski. She married Joseph Brzoza on November 10, 1956 in Philadelphia, PA and enjoyed 60 wonderful years of marriage before his death in 2017.

Dot loved her Catholic faith, even exploring becoming a Carmelite nun after her husband passed away. It was not uncommon to hear her singing hymns around the house and she was especially fond of angels.

Dot was the epitome of the happy, joyful housewife. She raised her six children while fulfilling her creative side by sewing her daughters’ clothes, decorating her house, making crafts, and planning fun family parties. She loved to play cards and collect recipes. She prepared large meals and it took her quite a long time to get the hang of making smaller meals once her kids moved out. She was patient, kind, and forgiving with a child-like innocence. She also loved shopping, going to garage sales, and admiring her husband’s success with orchids. He even bred a new orchid hybrid which was named ‘Miss Dorothy’. This orchid was recognized by the National Orchid Society and she was quite proud. For a time, she and her husband owned a beach house in Surf City and there she enjoyed many fun times. They traveled to many places around the world. Dot loved life! And she had many ‘Momisms’ – quirky turns of phrase that made her family laugh.

She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph; daughter; Judy Murphy, parents; brother, Maks; granddaughter, Valerie; brother-in-law, Ben; sister-in-law, Joan; and her in-laws Roman and Mary.

She is survived by her children, Diane (Joe) Rouse, Marie (David) Morrison, Joseph Brzoza, Edward (Vicky) Brzoza, and Larry Brzoza.  She is also survived by many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 1023 McHenry Ave., Crystal Lake  on April 23, 2019 at 11:00 am with a brief  visitation starting at 10:30.  She will be buried at a later date at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania.

The family would like to take this opportunity to express their thanks to Villa St. Benedict in Lisle, IL and The Vines Senior Homes in Elgin, IL for their excellent care of their mother in the last two years of her life. Their compassion is greatly appreciated.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The SERV Foundation, 20 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ 08628. SERV is a private, not-for-profit behavioral healthcare organization which has been helping Dorothy’s son with his autism care.