Dorothy Marshall
Aug. 8, 1916-Feb. 23, 2014
Los Altos, California

Dorothy Marshall, age 97, passed away peacefully on Feb. 23, 2014 in Los Altos. Born in Great Falls, Mont. on Aug. 8, 1916, to Edith and Ralph Hardesty, she was the eldest of seven children (Jack, Gwen, Ada, Phyllis, Harvey and Gerald). Dorothy moved when she was four from Great Falls, where her family lived on a large sheep ranch, to Bozeman, Mont., and then to Washington State. After marrying and raising her family in Seattle, Wash., she moved to Palo Alto, Calif., in the 1960s, where several of her adult children lived.

The loving mother of six children and the matriarch of a large extended family who lived nearby, Dorothy was an inspiring and devoted mother and grandmother. Her warmth, generosity and compassion extended to all she met. A resident of Palo Alto for 40 years, she worked for decades as the resident manager of an apartment complex in Palo Alto, making many friends from all over the world and hosting family gatherings for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. After retiring in her 80s, she and her beloved partner of 25 years, Jim Gordon, moved to Foresthill, Calif., in the lower Sierras. After Jim died, Dorothy moved to Los Altos. Until two weeks before she passed away at age 97, she was still walking, reading, discussing ideas and happily going out for coffee and movies with her family. Her mind and sense of humor were strong until the end.

She is survived by her sister, Ada Wilson, and her brother, Harvey Hardesty; her daughters, Janice Kirkley and Marjorie Iller; and her sons, John Michael Iller, Dan Iller, and Phillip Iller. She is also survived by her six grandchildren, Tom Kirkley, Sondra Glider, Lynelle Daley, Danniel Iller, Christopher Iller and Jon Iller; her six great-grandchildren, Heather Jackson, Joe Daley, Matthew Daley, Emily Glider, Michael Kirkley and Michelle Kirkley; and her seven great-great-grandchildren in Alaska, Kael Jackson, Liam Jackson, Eric Tate Jackson, Hali Jackson, Cami Jackson, Kian Jackson and Lilyan Daley. She was predeceased by her two husbands, John Iller and Barney Marshall, her loving partner Jim Gordon, and her daughter Kathleen Iller.