Dorothy Rusinak

Rusinak, Dorothy (Hlinko) passed away peacefully on Monday, March 14 at the age of 94. She was the only child of John and Agnes (Repan), first- and second-generation immigrants from Czechoslovakia, a heritage Dotty was extremely proud of. She was raised in a cold water flat in lower Manhattan, in a tight knit immigrant community surrounded by extended family and later friends that would last a lifetime.

Dotty graduated from Washington Irving High School and worked as secretary at Morgan Trust Bank in Manhattan and in much later years for the City of New York in the Corruption Prevention Department.

In 1954, Dotty married the love of her life, Alexander Rusinak and moved to Brooklyn. In 1956, their first child, Joyce was born followed by Raymond in 1958 and Donna in 1961. From Brooklyn they moved to West Brighton where they purchased a home that would be a place filled with love and laughter for another 60 plus years.

Family was everything to Dotty. She gave her family all her love and unwavering support. While it didn’t seem possible, her love only got stronger when she became a "Baba" to her 4 grandsons.

Dotty’s faith in God was strong and got her through some very difficult times including the death of her soul mate, Alex in 1997 and then in 2015 with the very painful loss of her daughter, Joyce to ALS. During these difficult years she also found solace in her volunteer work with Hospice.

Dotty loved music, dancing, traveling, cooking and entertaining especially when it included her family. Her door was always open and her kitchen table ready for anyone that wanted to visit. She was a caring “mother” to so many.

She was one of a kind with the sweetest smile and she approached every relationship with sincerity. Dotty is survived by her loving son, Raymond Rusinak and wife Donna Pizzi from Staten Island, daughter Donna Rusinak and husband Bill Franson from Byfield Massachusetts, as well as loving and admiring grandsons Derek Rusinak, Lucas Rusinak, Peder Franson and Sergei Franson not to mention the countless friends she acquired over her many years.

The wake will be on Friday, March 18th at Harmon’s Funeral Home (571 Forest Avenue) from 5-9pm. On Saturday at 11:15 the Funeral Mass will be at Sacred Heart Church (981 Castleton Avenue)

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the ALS foundation, https://als-ny.org/