Dorothy Danielson

Dorothy W. Danielson June 7, 1918 - January 31, 2010 Of San Francisco and a seventh-generation Californian, passed away peacefully following a massive stroke. In December 1941, Dorothy married her high-school sweetheart, William (Bud) Wileman, a Navy pilot, who was posthumously awarded a Navy Cross for his heroic aerial combat in the Southwest Pacific, after being killed in action during the battle of Guadalcanal. After his death, Dorothy completed training as a WAVE officer and was in that service until the end of WWII. By the late 1940s, she was among the first post-WWII college teachers of English as a second language (ESL), beginning with appointments at UC-Berkeley and City College of San Francisco, before teaching in the Philippines for two tours, first with UCLA and then as a Fulbright scholar. After that, she served for about 25 years as an English professor at San Francisco State University, where she was instrumental in establishing an MA program for preparing future ESL teachers. She coauthored several ESL textbooks that were widely adopted here and abroad. After retiring, she did considerable volunteering for the Maritime Museum Library, the Council of Neighborhood Libraries, Old First Concerts, and as a Long Term Care Ombudsman for the Family Service Agency of San Francisco. In 1961, Dorothy married Larry Danielson, the other great love of her life, who preceded her in death in June 1997. She is survived by her nephew, niece, three grandnieces, stepdaughter, and scores of devoted former students, colleagues, and friends. A Celebration of Dorothy's Life will be held on March 20 at 6:00 p.m. at the Maritime Museum Library, Fort Mason Center, Building E, 3rd floor. Donations in her memory can be sent to The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-6000 or to Friends of the SF Maritime Museum Library, c/o Library Bldg. E, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA 94123.