Dorothy Jean McGill

Dorothy Jean McGill passed away on July 17, 2010, in the beauty and comfort of her home surrounded by her sister Mary Edwards, her granddaughter Karina McGill Prigge, and all of her five children who adored her. Her children, living both near and far, considered it their greatest honor to walk alongside their mother, these last months, through the final mile marker in her life. She was 64 years old.

Dorothy was born on October 27, 1945 in Denver, Colorado to Dr. Joseph John McGill, II (surgeon) and Dorothy Jean O'Grady McGill. She was number four of seven children. She is preceded in death by her father and by her sister Anne McGill Burford (Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency 1980-1981). Her remaining siblings are Mary Edwards of Severna Park, MD, Theresa Peace of Lincoln, NB, Veronica Urban of Santa Cruz, CA, Rosie Binge of Littleton, CO, and Joseph John McGill, III of Frisco, TX.

Dorothy was a lifelong, devout Roman Catholic. She attended Mass daily, prayed the rosary, and was a patron of the Virgin and of St. Jude, often petitioning them for their mercy and intercession. At the age of seven, her parents took her to Mexico City where she celebrated her first Holy Communion at the main altar in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. Dorothy was graduated from St. John the Evangelist gradeschool and St. Francis High School in Denver, CO. She was a champion swimmer and spring board diver, competing for years for the Denver Athletic Club. Through her family travels, she developed a life-long love for all things Mexican. She and her sisters as young girls spent many summers studying Spanish in Mexico City. Dorothy inspired in all of her children a great love for Mexico, its language and its culture.

Dorothy attended her first year of college at St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri. She did her second year at St. Joseph's College in Albuquerque, NM. She married in 1965 and divorced in 1988. She completed her college degree with a BA in Political Science from UTEP.

Dorothy bore five children. Theresa Caballero of El Paso, TX, attorney, Jennifer Caballero of Albuquerque, NM, attorney, Deborah Caballero of Houston, TX, attorney, Raymond "Papo" McGill Caballero of LA, CA, teacher, and Elizabeth McGill Caballero of Santa Cruz, CA, attorney. She is survived by seven grandchildren: Simone Florence Caballero Gettleman, Karina McGill Prigge, Aidan McGill Vig, Leah McGill Vig, Dorothy McGill Vig, Antonia McGill Vig and Aanan McGill Vig.

Dorothy's greatest accomplishments can be measured by the love of her children toward her. She spent her entire life, her resources, her time and her energy teaching them good from bad, educating them through advanced degrees, protecting them from harm great and small, guiding them through hard times, preparing them to stand alone, helping them in their times of need, showing them what love means, and loving them beyond herself. Her children will continue to strive to make her proud.

Dorothy was a brilliant and accomplished woman. She was, without the degrees, an architect, a master gardener, an accountant, an interior designer, sometimes surgeon but always a great and inspiring lawyer. She helped her lawyer children with their cases by reading their files, crafting trial strategy, coming up with cross-examination, doing research, and on occasion going to the jail and to court to help. Her home, where she raised her children and spent 37 years of her life, stands testament to her exquisite taste and her ethic of hard work. She cleaned it and painted it and wallpapered and decorated and fixed and primed and always kept her home beautiful and immaculate. She loved trees and flowers. She was a steward of three of the largest live oaks in El Paso, watering them, pruning them and protecting them from sickness. Their beauty and grace will be enjoyed by future El Pasoans.

In between waxing floors, having babies, and cooking, Dorothy gave parties still remembered for their loveliness for many Democratic politicians who visited El Paso in the 1970's, including, presidential candidate Sargent Shriver.

Dorothy was proud to stand alone to do what is right and she never flinched. She was committed to fighting injustice. She was a leading member in the last run-away grand jury in El Paso, thwarting the then district attorney's efforts to charge innocent people. The grand jury was disbanded when it demanded an investigation into the elections department. Dorothy, as a house-wife, testified in federal court in the James Gordy case. She gave evidence that Federal Judge John Wood "Maximum John", had rushed a jury to judgment. While she was on the stand, Judge Wood questioned Dorothy menacingly and she answered him fearlessly about her knowledge of his misconduct. Her testimony resulted in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court reversing Judge Wood and releasing the defendant from prison.

Dorothy was committed to El Paso. She was instrumental in getting Government Hill, one of El Paso's oldest and finest neighborhoods, designated as a historical district, preserving its history and beauty for future families. She sat on a city board dedicated to historical preservation. She taught English at El Paso Community College. She was an election judge for her precinct for many years and was known for her fairness and honesty. She never missed voting and even in her final illness she went to cast her ballot in the school bond elections. She was a long time member of the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez chapter of the Pan American Roundtable.

Dorothy's life was full of examples of her great courage and kindness and generosity. However, she never sought the lime-light. She shared her knowledge and talents with all who knew her. She left everything better than how she found it. She left her children bereft with grief over her passing but she gave them the skills to survive and the expectation that they would use their education and their talent to do good. She was the finest example of a human being. You can't do better than that.

A rosary will be held Tuesday, July 20, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. at Harding-Orr & McDaniel Funeral Home (320 Montana Ave.). Funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph's Church, 1315 Travis St. Inurnment will be held at a later date by family. Services entrusted to Harding-Orr & McDaniel Funeral Home, 320 Montanan Ave. (915) 533-1646.