Dorothy Tallerico

Oct. 25, 1921 – Dec. 14, 2021

Dorothy Tallerico, 100, passed away peacefully in her sleep on the evening of December 14, 2021.

Born on October 25, 1921, in Dunsmuir, CA, Dorothy resided in Dunsmuir her entire life. Dorothy will be missed by all who knew her. Through her attitude of life to appreciate every day, say a kind word if you can to somebody, and tell people you love them, she touched the lives of so many that were fortunate to have crossed paths with her in her 100 years of life.

Dorothy’s careers spanned multiple decades, officially working into her late eighties, and included time employed with Sprouse-Reitz, the Golden Rule, and the Southern Pacific Railroad. Dorothy cared for the railroad crew like a mother hen and some of them referred to her as “Mom.” Many of the crew continued to visit her throughout her life, long after they had retired from the SP. A woman with a belief that work was good for you, in her early nineties, you could find her once a week at the train depot tidying up and keeping it ship shape. This earned her some pin money she used to say.

If you were a friend of Dorothy, you were a friend for life. Whether you attended high school with her, worked with her, knew her through a relative, or you were in the posse from her faith community, there was an unbroken bond. Dorothy was a woman of faith who regularly attended St. John the Evangelist Parish in Dunsmuir until her health didn’t permit her to attend. Sunday brunches by the close group of friends are a subject of legend.

Some might attribute her longevity to never owning a car, walking the hilly streets of Dunsmuir, breathing the fresh air or drinking the pristine water. Perhaps that black coffee for breakfast and a little glass of red wine every night before bed kept her going.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her father Vincenzio, (Jim), and mother, Rosina; her elder sister Catarina, (Kay); her twin brother Francesco, (Frank), and her younger brother, Salvatore (Sam) Tallerico; and more recently her niece, Kay Rose Tallerico, of Reno, and nephew Kenneth Tallerico of Sacramento. She is survived by a cousin, Rosie Tallerico of Redding, her nephews Jimmy Tallerico of Walnut Creek, and Frank Tallerico of Palm Springs, and her nephew Kenneth’s wife, Helen Tallerico of Sacramento.

If you are so moved, Dorothy would have appreciated donations made out to St. John’s Building Supply to be used for restoration of the 120-year-old chapel in Dunsmuir, the first Catholic church in Siskiyou County. Dorothy was considered the angel of the church. She would go almost every day and freshen up the flowers, straighten up the books and pick up any garbage. Donations in remembrance of Dorothy can be mailed in care of Gerry Scharf, 6005 Shasta Ave., Dunsmuir, CA 96025.

A celebration of life will follow in the spring at a location TBD in Dunsmuir and will be announced through word of mouth by way of the close community of friends.