Dorothy Floridis

The family motto of Dorothy Dean Floridis, who passed from this life on Thursday, November
19th at 9:50 PM, in Zionsville, Indiana, is a saying that speaks loudly to the character and spirit of
this amazing woman. “Keep Laughing and Singing All the Time!” (KLASATT), is how
Dorothy chose to live her life and it is how she chose to mark her passing. Born on January 1st,
1936 in Cleveland, Ohio, to John and Margaret (Blakely) Dean, Dorothy spent the next nearly 85
years, living as an example of the phrase.
Dorothy grew up in Cleveland Heights where she became a founding member of the “Dartmoor
Gang” – a group of neighbor children, whose friendship lasted over 80 years. She attended
Cleveland Heights High School and loved participating in the band, where she played French
horn, an instrument she loved hearing in any piece of music from that moment on. Music
remained so important to her, as witnessed by the musicality of both her children and
grandchildren.
Dorothy attended Ohio Wesleyan University and graduated from Lake Erie College. From there
she continued to Case Western Reserve University, earning a master’s degree in Speech
Pathology in 1961, one of only a few females in that profession at the time. She practiced her
craft in both Ohio and Indiana until she was 80 years old, specializing in brain injured patients,
and often treating seniors nearly twenty years her junior! She opened her heart and used her mind
and talents to bring healing to hundreds of people in their most vulnerable time.
She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and played bridge with her sisters for many
years. In her later years, she became an avid aerobic exerciser, and attended a class with the
same group of seniors at Healthplex in Indianapolis for over 15 years, even when connected to
an oxygen concentrator. Dorothy was an active member of the United Methodist faith, both at
Good Shepherd United Methodist church in Fort Wayne, where she was a member of lay
leadership, as well as the Zionsville United Methodist church, where she continued to serve
through her gifts and skills.
Dorothy raised two children of her own, John Floridis and Mary (Floridis) Hilton, but was
mother to so many more, including her two grandchildren, Bradley and Jessica. She enjoyed
attending baseball games and show choir competitions to support her grandchildren and loved
being included in IU tailgates and getting to know their new circle of friends. To a huge
community of friends in Montana, where John resides, Dorothy became more than just a mother
figure to those who knew her. She will be forever known as “Mama D”, and she considered
them all a part of her dear family And as perhaps his biggest fan, Dorothy never missed the
chance to attend her son John’s concerts all over Montana, acting as fan, roadie, and public
relations manager.
Born into a generation that had only the radio, and much like her father, Dorothy embraced
modern technology, engaging in long text conversations and posting as many humorous videos
and memes as she could find, including many featuring her constant and quirky companion,
Cookie Dough, the cat. We will all miss her regular funny updates.
Dorothy fell ill later in life, but never let that illness define her. Instead she faced her challenges
with KLASATT, and demonstrated to all us what it means to be brave and fearless in the face of
any difficulty. At 80, she rafted the Alberton Gorge in Montana and hiked miles of forests with
her son. They even recorded reality-show parody videos of themselves searching for Big Foot.
In life and in her passing she defeated Pulmonary Fibrosis and other complications including
breast and skin cancer that she beat up on regularly with her indomitable loving spirit for the last
several years.
She is preceded in death by her parents, John Ladd Dean and Margaret Blakely Dean as well as
her brother, J. Thomas Dean. She is survived by her son, John Floridis, of Missoula, MT, her
daughter, Mary (Mark) Hilton, as well as her grandchildren, Bradley and Jessica Hilton of
Zionsville, IN. She treasured her extended family including her sister-in-law, Pat (Tom) Dean
and many cousins, nephews, and nieces. She would also count as family her god-grandchildren
Haruaki (Rocky), Aya, and Mai Smith as well as her “son from another mother,” Vern Clayton
and his daughter, Ella Clayton.
A memorial service is tentatively scheduled as a private family ceremony on Sunday, December
20th at 2:00. Service may be viewed live stream at https://boxcast.tv/view/dorothy-floridis-funeral-613200. Please check back at https://flannerbuchanan.com for a streaming link posted closer.
to the date. The family also hopes to have a celebration of life in the summer of 2021. Please
contact a family member if you would like to participate. In lieu of flowers, Dorothy requested
your support of one of the following organizations: the Indianapolis Wheeler Mission, the
Alzheimer’s Association or the Parkinson’s Foundation.