Dorothy Ellinor Files Carrubba of Long Beach passed away suddenly on March 23 from complications of a stroke. She was born in Fulton, MS on Easter Day of 1930, April 20th and would have celebrated her birthday again on Easter next month. She graduated high school in Red Bay, AL and attended Florence State as a sixteen year old freshman. She ultimately graduated from the University of Mississippi with a B.A. degree in German and English. While at Ole Miss, she met and married the love of her life dashing Army Captain Pete H. Carrubba fresh from WWII studying for a law degree. Their marriage endured for 62 years, until her death.
She was preceded in death by her father H.E. Files, her mother Lily Ethel Rickard Files, her brother Elton Files and a granddaughter Sarah Ridnour.
A talented woman of diverse interests, she began her career at Abbot Laboratories and continuing it at Sears where she made lifelong friends. Dorothy’s passion was learning. She taught in the Long Beach school system for 25 years and shaped many lives through her gentle persuasion to her students that learning was exactly what they wanted, though they sometimes did not agree! She never stopped teaching, recently educating the patients at the Dixie White House where her husband was a patient, on how to crotchet because they “needed something to do”! Though she grew up in a time when women were not taught to be assertive, she spoke her mind with a calm conviction and inspired her daughters to do the same. Even when she was afraid, she did what was necessary. She was a girly-girl who loved new adventures and regularly loaded her brood in to her school bus yellow station wagon and drove them on adventures all around the country. She loved to try new foods, new places, and new things. She also loved to sew, quilt, read and she adored spending time with her children and grandchildren teaching them new things. She was a faithful friend, was devoted to St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church and to the Ocean Waves Quilters. Her love of travel never faded with a trip to Tennessee planned for next month. She was an adventuresome, fearless, passionate woman who did not have a pretentious bone in her body. She will be forever missed by the numerous lives she touched.
Along with her husband, Pete, she is survived by five children Peter (Karen) Carrubba, Kathryn (Jim) Matthews, Raymond Carrubba, Marilyn (Gary) Franke and Clayton (Peggy) Carrubba. She is also survived by a brother Wilbur C. (Lily) Files, grandchildren Laura, Becca, Bruce, Savannah, Matt, Dustin, Micah, Meredith, Sarah, Ruth, Angie and Johnny along with thirteen great grandchildren. Dorothy also leaves behind two cherished friends, Doris Mahalak and Myrt Newman.
The family wishes to thank Dr. Cyril Bethala, Dr. Hal Hem and the wonderful and caring staff of the fifth floor ICU of Memorial Hospital at Gulfport.
Visitation will be on Friday, March 28, 2014 at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church from 8:30-9:30am. A Mass of Christian Burial will be said at 9:30am and interment will follow at the Biloxi National Cemetery. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street in Gulfport is in charge of arrangements. View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com