Dorothy M. Diggs

Our mother, Dorothy Diggs was an intelligent, determined, loving, loyal, hard-working and beautiful woman, both inside and out.
Like many other women of color in her generation, she faced and fought to overcome childhood trauma, discrimination and the
negativity that she often encountered when trying to achieve her goals and fulfill her dreams.  She never compromised on the powers
of faith and prayer, and the value of a good education and enrichment.
As a young woman, Dorothy enjoyed working with young children, then went on to complete her education in Fashion and Secretarial Studies.  
She designed and made many of our clothes, and earned her way into several major companies with her exceptional secretarial skills
of which she was very proud.  She wanted to see more young women of color in the workplace, so mom worked with high schools in Manhattan,
encouraging  and mentoring young graduates to also complete their secretarial skills and seek careers with major corporations in the area.  
On weekends, mom was our Girl Scout Leader - taking us on trips, getting involved in community activities and causes, and also finding
the time to take us to concerts and museums in New York City.
As proud grandparents, Mom and Dad always made time to help care for their grandchildren Justin and Jared when needed.  When Justin 
was born, Mom had travel privileges with a major airline and he enjoyed many trips with them.  When Jared was born, Mom was working as
Parish Secretary at The Church of Our Saviour in Manhattan, and as a youngster, he often helped out at the church on weekends and spent
time with youngsters of the staff members there, or seeing the sights with Mom and Dad.
Dorothy remained at The Church of Our Saviour for 20 years, and she never hesitated to reflect that it was the best time in her life.  She was
doing "God's work" - working with the priests, members of the community, planning events, fundraisers, soothing, nurturing, encouraging 
everyone and with a staff of people who felt, and have continued to feel like family.
It was with great reluctance that Dorothy ultimately retired, but she never stopped asking herself and others, "What else can I do?"
To this day, so many of the people with whom Dorothy worked, have at least one special story to share about having met, or worked with, Dorothy.
With much love and gratitude,
Marsha and Marilynne

Dorothy truly spread a wide circle of love, and I am so grateful that, with the help of my son Jared, my "sister" Andria, her dedicated caregivers
Lorena and Gloria and our devoted puppy Angel, we were able to continue caring for mom at home until her passing.  We will truly miss her!
Rest in peace now Mama.  You will always be in our thoughts and prayers.
Marsha

Beloved Family and Friends,
I have already stated how much our mother (and father) believed in the importance of a quality education.  Cardinal Spellman High School
in the Bronx is where both my sister Marilynne and I received our high school education.  I cannot tell you what a lasting impact my years
there have had throughout my life, and I am grateful for that experience. Spellman continues to provide an exceptional quality education for
so many youngsters from the New York area.  This week, they will be celebrating Mom's legacy with a Mass.  If you wish to honor her by contributing
so that others may benefit, please use the following link:
                        https://cardinalspellman.org/pages_inc/inmemory.jsp

We thank you in advance for any support you may wish to provide.

Marsha and Marilynne
 

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