Dorothy Ellen Cellitti was born on June 6, 1927, in Chicago, IL. She was the second of 6 children born to Mary Ellen (Fitzpatrick) and Elmer Leon Hansen. She attended area parochial schools and graduated from Providence Catholic High School in 1945. After graduation, she worked for Cutler-Hammer Manufacturing Co., first as a switchboard operator and later in their accounting department. Dorothy met Phil, the love of her life, in Chicago after WWII. In 1953, Dorothy and her husband Phil moved from Chicago to Kansas City, MO, with a young family of three children. Seven years later, they moved to Overland Park, KS, with their growing family. In 1962, Dorothy returned to work in the personnel department at the Jones Store Co., and later in 1967, she worked as the office manager at Sears until her retirement in 1988. In her post-retirement years, her love of reading led her to work at the Johnson County Library in Leawood.
As a young child, Dorothy was artistic by nature. Both her love of art and her skills as a painter were refined with age like fine wine. She was an avid reader, a seasoned Italian cook, and a passionate antique hunter at garage sales. She enjoyed vacationing in Florida, Washington, DC, and Europe, as well as organizing 405th Army-Air Corps reunions, which brought her and Phil to many other destinations in the U.S. Wherever she traveled, or whomever she met, she would always introduce herself as ‘Dorothy from Kansas’.
Dorothy was the devoted wife of Louis P. Cellitti (Phil) for more than 65 years. Together, they raised 5 children: Mariella Tefft (John), Robert Cellitti (Nancy), Phyllis McEntire (Michael), Diane Monroe, and Tony Cellitti (Janet). She is preceded in death by her husband, parents, sister June Cotter, and many of her life-long friends from Western Hills. She is survived by her 5 children, 12 grandchildren: Christine Tefft, Cathleen Tefft, Edward Cellitti, Robert Cellitti, Michael Cellitti, Megan Caravello, Jennifer Owens, Jessica Carpenter, Marie Cellitti, Philip Cellitti, Catherine Cellitti, Anthony Cellitti, and 9 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by 4 siblings: Donald Hansen, Elaine McNulty, Roger Hansen, Jeanann Plumtree.
Dorothy was reunited with Phil on what would have been their 72nd wedding anniversary, February 7, 2020. She will be missed greatly by all.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests to have donations made in Dorothy's honor to Catholic Charities Hospice, or to the charity of their choice.