Dorothy was born in the tiny town of Jump River, Wisconsin.  She came to California with her family in 1948 and they settled in El Monte, near Los Angeles.

She found a job in a date packing factory and loved to stop at the local Foster's Freeze for a root beer float after work.  One day she was served by a handsome man – although she was already engaged, she instantly knew he was the one – she put her engagement ring in an envelope, put it in her fiance's mailbox and never saw him again.  The handsome man was Ed Matlove, he owned the Foster's Freeze and in 1953 they were married.

They continued to live in El Monte and run the business together.  They worked hard, had a lot of fun and especially loved the times they could come to San Diego and go out on day boats fishing.

Their daughter Marla was born in 1955, son Brad in 1962.  They transitioned out of the business, Ed started working as a bread delivery truck driver and Dorothy became a stay at home housewife and mom, a role she cherished and knocked out of the park.

In the late 80's they started scouting for a place to retire and they continued to be intrigued by San Diego.  They discovered Fallbrook and fell in love.  They bought their dream home in 1989 and settled in.  They were devoted to caring for their home and yard and had many adventures roaming around North County, especially enjoying Oceanside.  They had wonderful neighbors over the years and kept active.  They loved their life in Fallbrook and it suited them both perfectly.

When Ed became ill Dorothy cared for him devotedly for several years until he passed away in 1999.

Dorothy never let things get her down, and though her heart was broken, she jumped into life and made the most of each day.  She was always zipping up and down her driveway, up to something and having a blast.  She continued to take pride in her home and yard, loved to read, cook, visit with friends and neighbors and especially be out and about around town.  She loved to cruise through Joe's hardware, especially the garden department and before the pandemic, Marla and Dorothy were at Estrella's for lunch regularly, chile rellanos, all beans no rice!

She stopped driving on the freeway around 2012 but continued to go to Oceanside regularly until recent years.  She successfully passed the written and vision tests to renew her driver's license at age 89 and was still driving at the time of her death, although just around town.  She took pride in her excellent health and her ability to live independently and was mentally sharp until the end.

Dorothy was always happy, always smiling and cheerful and that was her calling card.  Everyone loved her and was so nice to her!  She seemed to know everyone, from the produce guy at Albertson's, car repair man who always helped her out, clerks at Rite Aid, even the guys who would pump her gas for her.

While we will miss her terribly, it was fact that Dorothy enjoyed every bit of her life and savored everything to the fullest down to the tiniest details of a day.  Every morning was a good one!  She never held a grudge, took nothing for granted and never did anything carelessly.  We can honor her by slowing down and taking our own time to savor the birdsong, watch the tiny new lizards in the spring or gaze at the moon when it is especially beautiful.

She is survived by her daughter Marla and son Brad, cherished friends and neighbors Brian and Louise, long time friend Laurel, her kitties Tuffy and Sunshine who were the loves of her life, and everyone in Fallbrook who remembers her smile, her pep and took the time to chat and joke with her – each person and encounter meant the world to her.  That's just who she was.