Dorothy (Toland) Wolkonowski

Greece: Dorothy passed away on August 11, 2025, at the age of 92. She is predeceased by her parents, Charles and Geraldine Toland; siblings, Geraldine Cooper, Robert Toland, former husband, Frank Wolkonowski; partner, Paul Henderson; and infant son, Mark. Dorothy is survived by her children, Lisa Bailey, Matthew (Helen) Wolkonowski, Charles (Sandra Hernandez) Wolkonowski, Cynthia Soles, and Vincent (Birgitta Odebrant-Wolkonowski) Wolkonowski; grandchildren, Krystin (Mitch) LaBarge, Michael (Jennifer) Wolkonowski, Joshua (Janelle) Wolkonowski, Kim (Alex) Soles, Sean Wolkonowski, Eleni Wolkonowski, Lee Wolkonowski, Henrietta Odebrant-Wolkonowski, Vinny Wolkonowski, Christina Wolkonowski, Greg (Colleen) Ramos, & Alex Ramos; 13 great-grandchildren; sister-in-law, Florence Wolkonowski; several nieces, nephews, other family members & dear friends.

Dorothy’s funeral service will be celebrated, Friday, August 15th, 10 AM at the funeral home, 1411 Vintage Lane (Between 390 & Long Pond Rd.). In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to Foodlink Inc., 2011 Mt. Read Blvd., 14615, or to St. Joseph Neighborhood Center, 417 South Ave., 14620, RRH Foundation, C/O Hildebrandt Hospice, 330 Monroe Ave., Suite 400, Rochester, NY 14607, in her memory.

Dorothy was a bit unconventional yet loved traditions. She was fiercely loyal to her family and close friends. And she looked for the best in everyone. She always tried to do what she felt was right under the circumstances. She loved beyond measure. She was kind, giving, independent, and considerate. She was curious about people. Dorothy wanted to understand how they were, what they were doing, and what they enjoyed. You would share an update on someone she asked about, and then she would ask another question, and it was not a question you would have thought to ask that person. To her, it would have been a natural inquiry to fully understand the person/situation.

She had various hobbies through the years. She enjoyed crossword puzzles and reading, especially biographies, due to her interest in people and their lives, which also rolled over into Hollywood magazines. She loved watching movies, especially on the TCM channel, as well as newer sitcoms/dramas like Everybody Loves Raymond, Castle, and Blue Bloods. At one point, she used to watch the show “Naked and Afraid.” She thought it was entertaining.

She had a good sense of humor and was known to make a humorous remark, especially when you least expected it. She enjoyed the humor of her family, especially her sons, when they got together. No topic was off-limits, which led to some serious laughter. She loved her family and being together. It was important to her that on birthdays and most major holidays, the family gathered.

Dorothy had a flair for fashion and shopping. She loved good bargains and sales. She never met a clearance rack she did not like, and no matter which store she was in, she would go up and down every aisle to be sure she did not miss anything. At work, she always wore “trendy” clothes, even had a black leather skirt and fashion boots!

Dorothy loved decorating and was very creative. She would change the décor in her house when the spirit moved her. It was always fun to see what was new or changed when we were at her house. During the Christmas season, she would have a seasonal shower curtain up and Christmas towels on her bed, there would be a Christmas comforter set, and Christmas decorations throughout the house, not just on the tree.

In addition, Dorothy loved going to the casinos. She always had a set limit that she would spend and stuck to it (for the most part). Once in the casino, she moved from one slot game to another until she found the one she felt lucky on. Three years ago, she won $1000, and she floated out of the casino that day.

Dorothy loved music (and concerts), especially Neil Diamond, Moody Blues, and classical music. She was also an ardent fan of the Buffalo Bills and rarely missed any of their televised games, cheering them on and heaven help them if they lost a game or if they were losing! Most of all, she loved anything to do with dancing. Over the years, she acquired a beautiful collection of dancers, which she proudly displayed in a cabinet.

Dorothy was born to Charles and Geraldine Toland on October 16, 1932. She was the youngest of three children. Her older sister, Gerry, and her brother Bob were remarkably close growing up. Her father was a mechanic and had his own Garage. Her mother was a homemaker. They lived in the city and were frequently surrounded by aunts and uncles who lived close by.

At an early age, Dorothy had a desire to dance. She took ballet classes with Olive McCue at the Mercury Ballet Company in Rochester. At 18 years old, she continued her ballet training in NYC at the request of Ms. McCue. She was there for 2+ years working part-time as a secretary and took dance classes for the other half of the day. It was arduous but fulfilling. She met some wonderful people and was able to stay in touch with many of them throughout her lifetime. When her studies in NYC ended, she returned to Rochester and became a Principal Dancer for the Mercury Ballet Company.
Besides dancing, she worked full-time at Lawyers Co-op Publishing Company.

Dorothy met Frank Wolkonowski through one of her friends, Florence, who was marrying one of his brothers, Eddie. They were married on 2/5/1955. She became pregnant with their first son, Mark, within a few short months. Sadly, Mark was born prematurely and did not survive. Dorothy was able to have five more children: Lisa, Mathew, Charles, Cindy, and Vincent (surprise!). She stayed at home raising her children and eventually started her own dance studio on the weekends.

Once Vince was in grammar school, she went to work at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rochester as a Secretary for Mr. Dick Chase. She worked in various positions there for 24+ years until her retirement.

Dorothy and Frank eventually divorced in the 1980s. However, when Frank had serious health issues from 1996-1998, she helped him where she could, i.e., took him to doctors’ appointments, etc. She was with him while he was in hospice and rarely left his side. Frank died in May 1998.

After retiring; in 1998, she was asked if she would consider some temporary work at BCBS, and she agreed. That is when she reconnected with Paul Henderson. And from there, they created their own love story. They lived together for almost 18+ years before Paul’s passing in 2019. They had a wonderful life filled with travel (Myrtle Beach, Sweden, San Juan, Panama Canal), going to various casinos (Mohegan Sun, Seneca, Finger Lakes), and get-togethers with their families (Wolkonowski’s & Henderson’s). Their house in Webster was the gathering place for holidays, birthdays, & partying. Occasionally, she and Paul would hold poker card game events.

In her last few years, Dorothy lived in Independent Living at the Villages at Unity from 9/2019 until March 2024. She really enjoyed living there and made many new friends. When her care needs changed, she moved to the Hamlet in April 2024 and subsequently moved to the Village at Mill Landing in 2/2025.