MALEC, Dorothy (Dottie) M. of Valrico, FL entered her heavenly home on March 25, 2021.

Dottie was born on January 15, 1948, in Holyoke, MA.  She graduated from Holyoke High School in 1966 and received her nursing license from Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY in 1969.  Dottie married James (Jim) Malec in 1972 and they lived together in Connecticut for four years before relocating to Valrico, FL in 1977 in search of warmer weather.  She was a faithful member of Nativity Catholic Church in Brandon since 1977.

Dottie had a servant's heart and was a natural caregiver.  She loved helping people, whether she knew them or not, and found her own happiness from caring for others and making them happy.  At the age of 12, she started as a candy-striper volunteering on weekends to assist the staff at Providence Hospital in Holyoke, MA.  During her nursing career, she worked in the intensive care units at Springfield Hospital in Massachusetts and Hartford Hospital in Connecticut.  After moving to Florida, she held numerous healthcare positions at Brandon Regional Hospital and worked for local home health agencies providing care for homebound patients.  Dottie volunteered at the Brandon Outreach Clinic for over 18 years providing free medical services to the underserved and was awarded the Volunteer of the Year in 2017 for her devotion and dedication.  Outside of nursing, she often spent time writing cards to raise the spirits of those dealing with life's challenges, and was known to regularly enclose her favorite inspirational "Jesus Calling" books.

She is survived by her loving husband Jim with whom she celebrated over 48 years of marriage.  She is also survived by her two sons, two daughters in law, and four grandchildren: Jeffrey (wife Kathy and children Jillian 11 and Bradley 8) of Sanford; and Brian (wife Megan and children Andrew 3 and Addison 1) of Orlando.  Some of her greatest joys came from being a soccer mom and ever-present fan at her sons' games and tournaments over 20+ years whether it was traveling club, high school (Bloomingdale and Durant), or college (UCF).  Dottie's dedication to her family was unsurpassed as her sons Jeffrey and Brian remain undoubtedly her greatest pride and joy in life although the gap was quickly closing when her grandchildren came along.

Dottie is preceded in death by her parents, Anthony (Tony) and Mary Goral, and her brother, Richard Goral of Barnstable, MA.   She is survived by her loving Bechard family (sister Beth and husband Dan) of Richmond, VA as well as nieces Jenni (Marshall) of Erie, CO and Sarah (Bechard) also of Richmond, VA.  Her sister's love was on full display filling Dottie's mailbox every few days with cards of hope and prayers along with daily phone calls during her journey with cancer.  The family conveys a special thanks to her sister-in-law Barbara Merritt (and husband Buck) of Lakeland, FL for their nightly phone calls, weekly meal deliveries, and countless spiritual inspirations and prayers.  Dottie is also survived by her sister-in-law Pat Goral of Barnstable, MA, as well as nieces Kristin (Merck) of McMurry, PA and Kim (Stephenson) of Wilmington, MA.

Dottie's loving touch and compassion extended to her furry four-legged children.  Anyone close to Dottie knew she loved cats and could not resist helping a stray – whether it came from the sewer, was homeless from a hurricane, or was disguised as a raccoon.  There is no doubt that Sneakers, Bambi, Shadow, Romeguy, Snowflake, Blackie, Wookie, and others, were all there to welcome her at the Rainbow Bridge.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at Nativity Catholic Church in Brandon, FL.  The burial will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the family plot in Oak Hill Burial Park in Lakeland, FL.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a gift in Dottie's honor to the Moffit Cancer Center, Lifepath Hospice, or the local SPCA to help support cancer research, end-of-life comfort care, and Dottie's fur-ever friends, respectively.