Dorothea Lou Nielsen

(Collins)

Dorothea Lou Nielsen (Collins), known as Dodie, passed away peacefully at her Novato home with her sons at her side on July 16. She had suffered a severe stroke a few days earlier.

Dodie was born on April 1, 1936, the oldest of four sisters, Edith (Edie), Roberta (Robbie) and Virginia (Ginny).

Her early years, and those of her sisters, were troubled as their single mother struggled with illnesses.

Fortunately the girls were rescued and all eventually moved to Edgewood Orphanage in San Francisco, now Edgewood Center for Children and Families. As Dodie was to explain later, Edgewood would provide the shelter, care and structure she and her sisters had not been able to have in their mother’s care. There, she and the older children helped care for the younger ones.

She left Edgewood when she graduated from Lincoln High School in 1954, moving in with friends and working for various employers.

Dodie met and married Michael Collins, a plumber and then San Francisco firefighter, in 1958. When her three boys, Kevin, Craig, and Brian, came along she stopped working to be a full time mom. She spent most of her time cooking meals (tacos and large breakfasts were specialties), helping with schoolwork (she insisted on good penmanship, Craig’s is still famous) and driving the boys to sporting events—little league baseball, Pop Warner football, CYO basketball, and the many school sports that followed. The Collins household was a common and welcoming meeting place for all the neighborhood kids, especially on hot days for swimming in the backyard pool.

When the boys were in high school Dodie went back to work at American Savings in San Rafael, first as a bank teller and then manager.

She worked there for years before becoming a bookkeeper for the City of San Rafael, staying for 20 years until retirement.

In those years she enjoyed spending time with friends, including playing Bunco with long time pals like Mary Hickey, and traveling.

Dodie became a widow with Mike’s unfortunate early death from a heart attack in 1996. She then spent time caring for her home and visiting with family and friends. She continued to enjoy a good meal, including trips to nice restaurants with family.

She amazed people with her ability to eat large meals being so petite. She always enjoyed a cocktail or two, saying, “I’ll have what Lynne’s drinking”.

In recent years Dodie suffered from memory loss, but stubbornly stayed at home with companionship. She is survived by her sons Kevin, Craig, and Brian and their wives Allison, Lynne and Kelley, all of whom loved her dearly, sisters Edie, Robbie, and Ginny, grandsons Sean, Andrew and Mat Collins, and great grandson Dalton Collins. We all will miss her.

She will be buried next to her husband Michael at Valley Memorial Cemetery in Novato. A small graveside service will be held on Thursday, July 30th at 11:00am for family & close friends.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to Edgewood Center for Children and Families, which changed her life: (http:// www.edgewood.org)