Dorothy E. (Hobart) Cappola

Dorothy Elizabeth (Hobart) Cappola, age 83, Whitman and for most of her life, Braintree, passed away on October 8, 2020 at the Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital after a courageous, tenacious four-year battle with lung fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. Born on October 23, 1936 in Weymouth, Dotty, as she was known, was the daughter of the late Flora Elizabeth Cannon and Frank Wallace Hobart of Braintree.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William Cappola, Sr., whom she, family, and caregivers, nursed for two years at home after he suffered a debilitating stroke. She was also preceded in death by her brothers, Kenneth and Ray Hobart; and her sister, Carol Durgin.

She is survived by her daughter, Diane Wallace, Middleborough; and her three sons: William Cappola, Jr., Whitman; James Hickey and his husband, Michael Hopper, Brighton; and Robert (Lizabeth) Ginder, Topeka, KS.

Cherished Nana of Ryan Wallace and his fiancé Melissa Marie, Leeland, NC; Taylor Wallace, Middleborough; David Cappola, Whitman; Olivia Cappola, Martha’s Vineyard; Jessica (Derek) Dultmeier, Topeka, KS; Anna (Jason) Wright, Portland, OR; Madeline Ginder and fiancé Brandon Stewart, Olathe, KS; and Emma Ginder and fiancé Quinton Tichenor, Topeka, KS. Great-grandmother of Birdie Dultmeier.

Dotty joined the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office in November 1982 as a Corrections Officer in the Department of Transportation. She served in several positions including Sergeant and Outreach Coordinator, and in 1993 she was promoted to Coordinator of Medical Services. In November 1994 Dottie was named Employee of the Month: the award noted her performance appraisals commending her as truly exceptional in her positive and professional manner and added that she not only had the ability to work and communicate with a variety of people but that her outstanding work ethic contributed to the overall operation of the Sheriff’s Office. Before joining the Sheriff’s Office, Dotty worked from 1968-1979 as a supervisor and special officer for the Braintree Police Department.

Upon retirement in 1996 Dotty and William purchased a second home in Delray Beach, FL, where they wintered for many years before their respective illnesses eventually forced them to sell. From her youth Dotty was an avid sportsperson, playing softball, excelling at candlepin bowling, and frequently golfing with her Braintree ladies golf group until her incapacitating disease.

Dotty’s family—especially her grandchildren—playfully teased her about elements of her South Shore accent: “mayin” for mine and “cohn” for corn. Her children observed that she could be a no-nonsense “hard ass” at times: the minute each of them turned 16 she drove them to respective Braintree grocery stores to apply for a part-time job. Her outlook was born of circumstance, but despite her seemingly rough exterior she was a softy and fiercely loved her family and friends.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Tuesday 4-8 PM in the McDonald Keohane Funeral Home SOUTH WEYMOUTH at 809 Main Street (Rte 18 opp. So. Shore Hospital). Relatives and friends will gather in the funeral home at 9:15 AM on Wednesday prior to the Funeral Mass in St. John’s Church, Quincy at 10 AM. Burial in Blue Hill Cemetery, Braintree. Donations in Dotty’s memory may be made to the Brigham and Women’s Lung Center (https://giving.brighamandwomens.org/ choose other and specify Lung Center).