Dorothea Fields

Dorothea was born on February 25, 1932 in the Rockaways to Anna and Reacy Kemp. She was one of seven children, the second oldest daughter. They would relocate to Brooklyn where she would eventually raise her own family. Dorothea worked at a jewelry company before she started her career with the New York Telephone Company, now known as Verizon. She started out as a telephone operator where she assigned telephone numbers to Ebbets Field, in which she also resided. She later transferred to one of the main offices where she worked for 25 years until she retired in 1986.

Before she retired, one of Dorothea's favorite pastimes was bowling. She also enjoyed cooking, music, sewing and crocheting for her children, grandchildren and many others. Her specialty was baby blankets for anyone who needed one. She loved the outdoors. You could find her every morning standing in front of the building where she lived meeting and greeting everyone who passed by.

After retirement, Dorothea delighted in taking care of her granddaughters, Nicole and Olivia. She enjoyed spending time with them, taking them to school, picking them up, going to the park and all the fun things they would do together. She was also "Great Grandma" to Arya, who sparked nothing but smiles and laughter every time they were together.

Dorothea was known for her strong will and candidness. If you spent the day with her, you would always find her humming to herself at the kitchen table or somewhere around her home.

She was a quiet person who loved reading (lots of romance novels) and working on crosswords puzzles, always calling her sister, Edna, on Sunday mornings to figure out the last few answers in the paper. She was always checking in on her family.

A dedicated mother, sister, aunt and friend, she peacefully departed this earthly life on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. She is survived by her brother Eddie, two beloved daughters, Lenora and Michelle; her cherished granddaughters, Nicole and Olivia, and her wonderful great granddaughter Arya, as well as nieces, nephews, cousins and other extended family and friends.

Dorothea was preceded in death by her parents Anna and Reacy, her son Carl, and her siblings Willie, Harvey, Shirley, Edna and Richard.

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