Dorothy Mae McAfee

“Dorothy Mae McAfee (Wilson), 90, surrounded by her devoted family, departed peacefully on January 13, 2025, just shy of her 91st year. Though she began her journey in Miami, Florida, on February 16, 1934, it was divine orchestration that brought her young heart to Marietta, Georgia. There, at the tender age of twelve, she found both her faith and her future when she met William “Howard” McAfee. What followed was a love story that would span more than six decades, weaving together a tapestry of family, faith, and unwavering devotion that even time itself seemed to honor. Dorothy's greatest joy and most profound achievement was creating and nurturing a family that grew to span five generations. Her dedication to family began with raising her four daughters, later balancing her role as mother with a career as an executive assistant at Pepsi-Cola, and subsequently at Lockheed Martin, where she worked alongside her beloved husband until his retirement. A long-time member of Calvary Assembly, Dorothy's faith was expressed through her participation in the church choir, where her voice and spirit touched countless lives. However, her most beautiful music was the harmony she created within her family, orchestrating a legacy of love that will resonate through generations. When Howard passed in 2015, those who knew their extraordinary bond - witnessed daily in her attentive devotion and the way she hung on his every word for over 64 years - feared her heart might not recover from such a profound loss. Yet Dorothy, in a display of remarkable fortitude that amazed even those who knew her best, transformed her deep grief into a testament of endurance. She demonstrated that love, even when fractured by loss, can fuel an extraordinary will to persist, surviving him by nearly a decade when many thought six months without him would prove impossible. Time, however, brought more trials. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Howard (2015), her brother, Bill (2014), her grandson, Billy (2014), and her daughter, Sheryl (2021). Through each loss, she showed that the heart's capacity for love is matched only by its capacity for resilience. She leaves behind a beautifully woven tapestry of family, including her sisters, Mary Lee and Debra; her daughters, Valarie and her husband, Robert, Angela, and Pamela and her husband, Jeffery; her grandchildren, Christopher and his husband, Chris, Andrea and her husband, Michael, Billy's fiancée, Priscella, and his former wife, Rebecca, Jessica and her husband, James, Matthew and his wife, Kailey, Lauren, and Nicholas. Dorothy's love extended through generations to her great-grandchildren: Joshua and his wife, Asma; Faith, Ryan, Tanner, Jaden, Xavier, Isabel, Makayla, Kaley, Merrick, Chase, Kyle, Gavin, and Zagan; and was crowned by her beloved great-great-granddaughter, Aleyna. Dorothy's life was a masterclass in the infinite nature of love across time. From the twelve-year-old girl who found her life's companion in Marietta, to the family matriarch who demonstrated that love transcends even the deepest valleys of loss, she remained a constant source of strength and unwavering devotion for her family. Her legacy lives on in the countless lives she graced with her gentle wisdom, her unwavering support, and her ability to make each family member feel uniquely cherished. In her journey through time's ever-flowing river, she showed us that love, in its purest form, creates ripples whose melody echoes eternally through time, resonating within all the hearts she touched.

Dorothy Mae McAfee

February 16, 1934 - January 13, 2025