Dorothy Patricia (Koval) Morrissey was born on October 3, 1937, to Mary and Joseph Koval in Carteret, New Jersey. She was known as Dot to family and friends. She attended St. Mary's High School in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. After high school Dot went on to study as a registered nurse at Elizabeth General Hospital—pursuing a career in nursing and then later in life switched careers and became a substance abuse counselor and the head nurse and director of several inpatient and outpatient facilities.

Dot spent much of her adult life living at the Jersey Shore—last living in the quaint Victorian town of Ocean Grove. When her health started to present problems, she moved to Verona, Pennsylvania, in 2015, to be closer to her son. While she will forever be a Jersey girl, Dot was actually starting to root for Pittsburgh's beloved Steelers. Although, if truth be told, if Mahomes was playing—she tuned in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs.

Dot will be missed by all she met in this life. She was a character. She was always the center of attention no matter what the situation. She was outgoing, could become best friends with anyone she met, she could sing, was smart as a whip, a terrific guitar player and a talented painter—recreating scenes from her travels and the homes she lived in over the years. She was also a double valedictorian—of her high school and nursing program, where she won six out of the seven top awards.

Dot was the type of mom who would sit on the beach with her friends and with her guitar in tow--singing songs from Memorial to Labor Day. Other beachgoers would gather around us enjoying her music and singing along. Some even brought their own guitars! As kids, it was embarrassing—as adults we applauded her audacity.

Dot decided to pursue a career in addiction counseling attending Monmouth College in her 40s—and, of course, she aced every subject. She would often do her algebra homework while making dinner. She even had the nerve to try out for the school play—and beat out all the other college kids for the lead! She often did things that we ourselves couldn't gather the courage to try.

When we started to have kids—she turned her energies toward her grandchildren. She would host the children for Christmas tree trimmings (collecting kid-centric ornaments wherever she found them), Easter egg decorating sessions and egg hunts on the beach as well as summer visits to her apartment in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. When it was discovered that one of the grandsons was born with a complication—she gave up everything to live in Virginia for 10 months to help with care that included multiple daily physical therapy sessions. We were forever in her debt and her grandchildren cherish their childhood memories of the fun times with their grandma.

Dot was also the type of mom who, using her vast nursing knowledge and life experiences, was good at helping out in any crisis. We often would call her up for advice—ranging from how to heal a scratchy throat to more serious career and personal advice when times got tough. We will miss her help and guidance in the years to come.

Dot was very proud of her Slovak heritage. She was the first generation born in the U.S. after her parents immigrated from eastern Slovakia. She even took a two-week trip to Slovakia with her daughter to see her mother's hometown in Michalovce, Slovakia. She particularly cherished the Slovakian food and traditions surrounding Christmas and Easter. And, after having lived on the Jersey Shore for most of her adult life—she loved crabs more than anything in the world—other than pot full of halupki rolls. As a surprise—for the past two birthdays she received two huge bushels of Chesapeake blue crabs and literally finished all 75 crabs within two weeks of their arrival!

Dot unfortunately had a lot of health problems—many of them stemming from a life-long addiction to cigarettes. We knew her health was declining, but you think your mom will live forever. In the end, her positive spirit was worn down by the side effects of 60 years of smoking. I think she who lived so fully for much of her early life was afraid to die. But she knew her body and mind were giving up. In the end, she died unexpectedly. I think she'd be relieved it happened so quickly. We are. She will be missed by her family, friends and caregivers and was loved more than she ever knew possible.

Dot was predeceased by her parents, Joseph Koala and Mary (Sarik), her five siblings: Mary, Helen, Irene, John and Ann. She is survived by her daughter Colleen and son Matthew; son-in-law David Calabrese; grandkids Moth and Molly; grandsons Ryan and Ethan; and various cherished nephews and nieces.

A Catholic blessing ceremony will be held at 1p.m. on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 with visiting hours prior from 12-1 at the Burket-Truby Funeral Home Cremation and Alternative Services, Inc. 421 Allegheny Ave. Oakmont, Pennsylvania 15139. A funeral mass and burial will take place near her hometown in New Jersey at a later date.