Dorothy J. Graden

Dorothy J. (Haddad, Boggs) Graden, age 87 of Toledo passed away Friday May 14, 2009 at the Lutheran Village at Wolfcreek. She was the daughter of Joseph A. Haddad (d. 1974) and Lilly Zahab (d. 1945). Born and raised in North Toledo, Dorothy was thoroughly Lebanese and cooked Lebanese food almost as well as her professional-cook mother. A 1940 Woodward High School graduate, she married John “Jack” L. Graden in 1945 while he was in the Army. After WWII they began raising their family: John Graden ,Jeanne Graden ,and Joseph (Mary Pat) Graden from whom came two of Dorothy’s grandchildren: Matthew Graden and Jennifer Graden]. After Jack died in 1952 she remarried in 1956 and gave birth to her fourth child, Mary Jo (Boggs) Graden ( Hilary Marsh) who gave Dorothy her third grandchild, Katherine Graden.] She worked for lawyers, then for the Toledo Public Schools from which she retired in 1978. She first moved to Florida to be with her sisters Josephine (Mike) Addis and Mary Pluciniak-Sizemore all of whom have predeceased her. Mary’s two children are still living: Bob (Paula) Pluciniak just outside of Toledo and Lori (George, deceased) Kelly in Akron. In 1980 Dorothy said “yes” to her first husband’s brother (Bill Graden), when he proposed, after the death of his first wife, Alice. They got married in Toledo, but she moved to West Covina, California where Bill had been living. They had eight years together before Bill finally succumbed to the strokes that had begun shortly after their marriage. Dorothy remained in California where Bill’s two children, Bill Jr. (Sabra) and Sue (Doug) were raising their families. In her almost 30 years there she developed a group of wonderful friends at Sacred Heart Church, often attending daily mass and going out to breakfast with them. In June 2009, she moved back to Toledo to live with her son Joe and his wife Mary-Pat. She was delighted to be closer to family and her grandchildren Matthew, Jennifer and Katherine. Following a fall and head injury last October, she declined rather rapidly and was no longer able to live without constant care. Her long term memory was largely intact, so she would know you, but then probably not remember that you had been there. She seemed to be stable, relatively pain free and laughed a great deal. On Friday after getting dressed and having breakfast, she went back to her room and sat comfortably in her chair where she died peacefully a short time later. She will long be remembered by so many for contagious laughter and love of her family and many, many friends. Visitation will be from 2-8 p.m. on Monday, May 17th with the scripture service at 7 p.m. at the Coyle Funeral Home, 1770 S. Reynolds Rd., in Toledo. On the morning of Tuesday the 18th there will be an hour of visitation at Little Flower Church on Door Street before the 10:30 a.m. funeral mass. Memorials can be made to the Toledo Oblates of St. Francis de Sales , American Diabetes Association or a charity of your choice

Dorothy J. Graden

November 10, 1922 - May 14, 2010