Dorothy V. Anthony

Dorothy Von Herbulis Anthony passed away and went to be with the Lord on May 7, 2016 at the age of 88. She was visiting her daughter Linda in Texas when she took a fall on April 18 and was unable to recover from it. She had remained very active her entire life and always commented on what a great life she had. Dottie was born April 6, 1928 in Sorrento, Florida, and lived there until 1944 when her family moved to Sanford to a house on Myrtle Avenue where Dottie’s brother Carl Von Herbulis still lives today. She graduated from Seminole High School in 1946 and was proud of the school’s nickname at the time, the Celeryfeds, and frequently told stories of the good old days as a graduate of the high school. She is preceded in death by her parents, Albert O. and Mary E. “McDonald” Von Herbulis, and her husband of 37 years, Robert William Anthony (d.1989), whom she met in Sanford when Bob was stationed at the Sanford Navy base. Dottie worked at the Sanford Herald newspaper and Bob wrote an article for the Navy called “Blues in the News.” He would drop the article off each week and in 1952 they got married and started their family in Sanford. Dottie is survived by four children, Linda Anthony Holsclaw- Hill (Del), Robert W. Anthony Jr. (Donna), James M. Anthony (Lynne) and Daniel J. Anthony (Janie), 10 grandchildren, Cynthia Francis (Joe), Amy Coelho (Lee), Megan Simonelli (Jon), Robert W. Anthony, III, Caitlin Anthony, Sean Anthony, Travis Anthony (Kelly), Ashleigh Anthony, Alex Anthony and Adam Anthony, and five great grandchildren, Ava Simonelli, Ian Francis, Harper Coelho, Addison Simonelli and Pike Francis. She is also survived by her sister Margaret (Von Herbulis) Wiggins, who still lives in Sanford, and her brother Carl Von Herbulis as well as many nieces, nephews and other relatives who still live in Sanford. She was part of a very large Sanford family and is preceded in death by her brothers Jimmy and Bobby Von Herbulis and her older sister Alberta (Von Herbulis) Kramer. Before retirement Dottie was a true female entrepreneur with her own reweaving business in Daytona Beach and then in Louisville, Kentucky, where her husband Bob had been transferred as a vice president to General Electric’s Louisville offices. Dottie led a very active life. She loved to play bingo, dance and travel, especially if the bus was taking her to a casino. If there was a place to travel she went. She cruised down a river in Russia where her baggage was lost for the whole trip. She cruised the Mediterranean with her daughter Linda two months after the attack on the twin towers in New York in 2001. She visited Australia, Hawaii, Alaska and many more places that most of us only dream of visiting. Making jewelry and teaching others to make jewelry (as well as wearing her own creations) were passions that brought her great joy. Dottie volunteered at the hospital for many years as a “pink lady” and was for years the president of the hospital auxiliary for the Central Florida Regional Hospital, participating in and often heading countless fundraising events. Dottie was an active member of All Souls Catholic Church in Sanford and the Catholic Women’s Club. In honor of the Von Herbulis family she just recently led the fundraising drive to donate a stained glass window to the All Souls chapel which now displays the Von Herbulis name right next to the church pew where she and her family would sit. After collecting thousands of dollars from many relatives in Sanford, she made up the difference in cost and funds collected out of her own pocket as it was one of her final “Bucket List” desires to leave a legacy so that the Von Herbulis name would always be remembered at All Souls Church. Dottie approached life as an adventure, always striving to be happy and live an active life. Her heart issues and a bout with breast cancer tried to keep her down, but Dottie proved stronger than anyone in the medical field thought she could. Her heart doctor always joked about how surprised he was every time she walked in his office. To stay heart healthy, she was active at the Sanford Senior Center and frequently was the leader for craft groups, particularly jewelry-making sessions. Dottie will be missed by so many friends and relatives. The family invites you to come to the memorial services and tell your stories of this lovely woman and how she touched your life. That prayer service and sharing of memories will be at All Souls Church’s Historic Chapel on 9th Street at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday the 18th followed by visitation at DeGusipe Funeral Home also on 9th Street until 8:30 p.m. The Funeral Mass will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday May 19 at All Souls Church Historic Chapel followed by the burial at All Souls Cemetery on 25th Street and then a reception at the Knights of Columbus Hall just off 25th Street. Dottie loved flowers and had quite the green thumb. While she likely would be thrilled to have flowers at her funeral, she also loved All Souls Church. In lieu of flowers, donations to the church would be much appreciated to help maintain the chapel. Donations can be sent to All Souls Church, 301 W. 8th St., Sanford, FL 32771.

Dorothy V. Anthony

April 6, 1928 - May 7, 2016