Dorothy's Funeral

The Gormisky household was a very close, loving bunch. "Big Joe", Dot (Big Joe's Mother, Joey's Grandmother) Joey, (Joseph Jr) Melissa, and Joey and Melissa's four daughters (Arionna, Emily, Isabella and Mackenzie) have lived together most of their lives (Melissa joining their family 18 years ago following all their children)

Big Joe passed suddenly on Monday, November 8, 2021. His death hit the family hard. Joey had lost his mother at the age of 13 so losing his father was beyond devastating. The tough loss shattered the family. Dorothy lost her only child, Joey and Missy- a great father, the four girls- their "Pop".

With expenses very tight, Joey and Melissa planned Big Joe's funeral and burial.

On Monday, November 15, 2021 family and friends gathered to say their final farewells to Joseph Gormisky. Following the service, the funeral procession made its way to Magnolia Cemetery.

Family, friends and clergy gathered around the burial plot. Joey held his grandmother as she wept. We made notice of Dot suddenly needing to be seated and beginning to cough and struggle to breathe.

Joey and family began to usher her back to Joey’s vehicle. The burial ceremony came to a tragic halt as we carried her into the car and she lost consciousness and stopped breathing.

As soon as they noticed Dot wasn't breathing, they laid her on the grass and a funeral attendee (also a Registered Nurse) began administering CPR, as other family and friends stuck by and encouraged Dot to try to regain consciousness. Her grandchildren in attendance were ushered away from the scene. Heartbroken and shocked, family and friends held each other in prayer.

Paramedics and police arrived to continue treating Dot with CPR and Defibrillation. After a short time it was determined to take Dot to nearby Frankford hospital for a physician to evaluate her condition. Shortly after, it was determined that Dot had passed.

Dot’s death was a testament to how transcendent a mother's love could be. "Big Joe" was her only child. She truly could not live without her son. As tragic as this event was, there's beauty to be found here. With Dot's passing, we learned, love is the most powerful force. There was nothing keeping Dot from being with her son again and we know, they're together now, free of pain and suffering, smiling down on their loved ones.

Joey and family, still struggling with the emotional and financial toll of his father's funeral, have to return today to put another deposit on yet another funeral. Unfortunately, there were no financial benefits with either of them passing, leaving Joey and Melissa to pay for not one, but two funerals in the course of a week.

We are asking that our family and friends (if they have the means) to contribute to the funeral expenses of Dot and to consider the crushing series of events this family has faced. With two funerals, being a family of six, mortgage and automobile payments and the holidays just around the corner. I am confident we can raise $10,000 to help support the Gormisky Family in their most trying time of need.