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Dorothy O'Connell
Dorothy O'Connell Obituary
SUN CITY WEST, Ariz. - Dorothy Lynch O'Connell, 99, of Sun City West, Ariz., formerly of Chicago and Champaign-Urbana, passed away on March 18, 2025.
Dorothy was born Feb. 15, 1926, in Chicago, a daughter of Thomas and Irene Conley Lynch. She married William J. O'Connell on April 10, 1950, in Chicago. They had three children: Daniel, Janice and Thomas.
Survivors include son Daniel (Isabel) of Sun City West, Ariz., and grandsons William and Antonio O'Connell; and daughter Janice (James) Marshall of Scottsdale, Ariz
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a son, Thomas; and a sister, Marilynne.
Dorothy received scholarships to attend high school and St. Xavier University in Chicago. She earned degrees in biology and English in 1947. In 1948-49, she attended The School of Speech and Drama at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., on scholarship.
In Chicago, Dorothy worked at the Sun-Times; appeared in and directed plays; and worked in early television writing and directing TV shows for channels WGN and WBKB.
For 18 years, Dorothy was a full-time mother and homemaker. From 1968, she worked as a specialist in automated education in the schools of Education and Computer Science at the University of Illinois. She received a federal grant to the university, and became editor for the research arm of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families in Washington D.C.\\ From 1981 to 1994, she joined the Computer-Based Education Research Laboratory, where she wrote computer-based educational lessons for the PLATO System.
Dorothy and Bill moved to Sun City West, Ariz., in 1996. She was a member of the Women's Guild of Our Lady of Lourdes/Prince of Peace Parish and volunteered in the parish library. As Vincentians, Dorothy and Bill served those in need for many years.
She enjoyed family, friends, travel, reading, opera and watching tennis (especially her grandsons).
Funeral services will be held Sept. 20 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 708 W. Main St., Urbana.
Memorials may be made to The St. Vincent de Paul Society.
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Sala Wulf
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Mama boss you´ll always be remembered very special sweet lady. Rest inlove mama boss
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