Dorothy (Dottie Carol) Donnelly died peacefully on Oct. 2, 2015, at Hospice House in Hutchinson. Born Dec. 25, 1927, she was the daughter of Blanche and Jule Markiewicz. She graduated from Great Bend High School, Christian College for Women in Columbia, Mo., and University of Wisconsin. In 1953, Dorothy married William (Cliff) Donnelly. He died in 1967. For 45 years she directed the School of Dance Arts in Great Bend, where it was her life’s work to share the love of beauty through dance. A lifelong learner, Dorothy returned to piano studies in the 1980s. After retiring and moving to Hutchinson, she added Tai Chi and Qi Gong to her activities. Discovering a passion for opera later in life, she enjoyed attending many arts and music events in Hutchinson and Wichita with friends and family.
Mrs. Donnelly was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Hutchinson, and previously St. John’s Episcopal Church in Great Bend.
Survivors include two children, Bill and Laura (Clay); brother-in-law Omar Norton; nieces Shari Norton Jacobs (Mike), Shelley Midgorden Carson (George), Leslie Midgorden Mingenback (Mark), Sally Midgorden Keyser; nephew Mark Norton (Chiemi); 11 great nieces and nephews; and 10 great-great nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held at 1:30 p.m. on  Monday, Oct. 19,  at Grace Episcopal Church in Hutchinson. A graveside service at Hillcrest Cemetery in Great Bend will be scheduled later. To leave memories or share photos visit http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/DorothyDonnelly/homepage.aspx. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice & HomeCare of Reno County online via the above website, or mailed to HHRC, 1600 N. Lorraine St. Ste. 203, Hutchinson, KS 67501.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Yoder Embalming*
1801 W Mccormick St.
Wichita, KS 67213
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Oct. 11, 2015