Obituary for Dorothy Gibbs Savio
Dorothy “Dot” Ann Sieben Gibbs Savio passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 6, 2019.
Dot was most recently a resident of Canton, CT and spent 42 years in the area. She also resided in San Antonio, FL for over 20 years.
Dot was born in Irvington, NJ on October 28, 1929 where she attended St. Leo Catholic School through 8th grade and later moved to Livingston, NJ and attended West Orange High School taking general college prep studies. She then enrolled and graduated from The Berkeley Secretarial School. Dot married Norman Gibbs in 1950 shortly after they met at a mutual friend’s wedding. She started a family in Athol, MA, Norman’s home town, where her son Larry was born in 1952. They moved to Avon, CT in 1956. Her daughter Gretchen was born in 1961 in Avon. Dot was predeceased by her husband Norman in 1970. Dot relocated to San Antonio, FL in 1976 to be close to her parents Marie and Eugene Sieben of San Antonio and her mom’s extended family (the Oppels). There she accepted a job at St. Leo University as Executive Assistant. She enrolled in college courses and soon met Charles (Chas) Savio a professor at St. Leo, her kindred spirit and life-long best friend. Dot graduated from The University of South Florida with a Bachelors and Masters degree in Business Education and taught courses at University of South Florida in Tampa. Dot moved to Canton, CT in 1986 to be near her children and worked for a number of years as legal secretary at firm of O’Brien Tanski & Young in Hartford. To care for her parents Dot moved to San Antonio, FL in 1994 and in 2004 returned to Canton where she spent her later years with close friends, new friends and her daughter and son, Gretchen Gibbs and Larry Gibbs.
During the 60’s and 70’s Dot was member of the Simsbury Camera Club and wrote the newsletter for the Hartford Chapter of National Organization for Women.
Dot was athletic, competitive and always interested in new activities. She played softball in high school. Like her father, Dot loved card games and played cribbage, backgammon and mah-jong throughout her life. She enjoyed swimming, scuba diving and snorkeling with Chas. They were members of the Tampa Ski Club. Dot was an avid reader and games player on her iPad.
Dot loved football and played in numerous large pools winning several times. She was an avid Patriots fan, never missed the Triple Crown races and closely followed Tiger Woods.
She was preceded by her parents Marie and Eugene Sieben, husband Norman Gibbs and cousins Diane Cecala and Kenny Sieben.
She is survived by Larry Gibbs and his wife Dale of Canton, CT, Gretchen Gibbs and her best friend Doug Mitchell of Winsted, CT. She leaves her best friend Charles Savio of San Antonio, FL, his daughter Chela Rosales and her husband Sergio of Tuawila WA. She also leaves her sister Joan Clifford of Morristown, NJ, her cousins Edith Strelec, Barbara Grohoski, Regina Sieben and Janet Bossert, and many nieces, nephews and close friends in NJ, Florida and Canton, CT.
Special thanks to the Staff at Cherry Brook Health Care Center for the excellent care and kindness shown to Dot and her family and also to the folks at 21 Dowd Avenue for their sincere friendship and support through the years.
A celebration of her life will be held at the Vincent Funeral Home, 120 Albany Turnpike in Canton at 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 11th. Her family will receive friends prior to the service, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Please visit Dot’s “Book of Memories” at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online tributes.
Dot was most recently a resident of Canton, CT and spent 42 years in the area. She also resided in San Antonio, FL for over 20 years.
Dot was born in Irvington, NJ on October 28, 1929 where she attended St. Leo Catholic School through 8th grade and later moved to Livingston, NJ and attended West Orange High School taking general college prep studies. She then enrolled and graduated from The Berkeley Secretarial School. Dot married Norman Gibbs in 1950 shortly after they met at a mutual friend’s wedding. She started a family in Athol, MA, Norman’s home town, where her son Larry was born in 1952. They moved to Avon, CT in 1956. Her daughter Gretchen was born in 1961 in Avon. Dot was predeceased by her husband Norman in 1970. Dot relocated to San Antonio, FL in 1976 to be close to her parents Marie and Eugene Sieben of San Antonio and her mom’s extended family (the Oppels). There she accepted a job at St. Leo University as Executive Assistant. She enrolled in college courses and soon met Charles (Chas) Savio a professor at St. Leo, her kindred spirit and life-long best friend. Dot graduated from The University of South Florida with a Bachelors and Masters degree in Business Education and taught courses at University of South Florida in Tampa. Dot moved to Canton, CT in 1986 to be near her children and worked for a number of years as legal secretary at firm of O’Brien Tanski & Young in Hartford. To care for her parents Dot moved to San Antonio, FL in 1994 and in 2004 returned to Canton where she spent her later years with close friends, new friends and her daughter and son, Gretchen Gibbs and Larry Gibbs.
During the 60’s and 70’s Dot was member of the Simsbury Camera Club and wrote the newsletter for the Hartford Chapter of National Organization for Women.
Dot was athletic, competitive and always interested in new activities. She played softball in high school. Like her father, Dot loved card games and played cribbage, backgammon and mah-jong throughout her life. She enjoyed swimming, scuba diving and snorkeling with Chas. They were members of the Tampa Ski Club. Dot was an avid reader and games player on her iPad.
Dot loved football and played in numerous large pools winning several times. She was an avid Patriots fan, never missed the Triple Crown races and closely followed Tiger Woods.
She was preceded by her parents Marie and Eugene Sieben, husband Norman Gibbs and cousins Diane Cecala and Kenny Sieben.
She is survived by Larry Gibbs and his wife Dale of Canton, CT, Gretchen Gibbs and her best friend Doug Mitchell of Winsted, CT. She leaves her best friend Charles Savio of San Antonio, FL, his daughter Chela Rosales and her husband Sergio of Tuawila WA. She also leaves her sister Joan Clifford of Morristown, NJ, her cousins Edith Strelec, Barbara Grohoski, Regina Sieben and Janet Bossert, and many nieces, nephews and close friends in NJ, Florida and Canton, CT.
Special thanks to the Staff at Cherry Brook Health Care Center for the excellent care and kindness shown to Dot and her family and also to the folks at 21 Dowd Avenue for their sincere friendship and support through the years.
A celebration of her life will be held at the Vincent Funeral Home, 120 Albany Turnpike in Canton at 7:00 PM on Thursday, July 11th. Her family will receive friends prior to the service, from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Please visit Dot’s “Book of Memories” at www.vincentfuneralhome.com