Dorothy M. (McMahon) Gaffney

Dorothy Marie Gaffney of Riverdale, Maryland died peacefully in her home on Saturday, February 17, 2018. Beloved wife of 70 years to Joseph John Gaffney and loving mother to her seven children, Patricia (Paul) Mylander, Maureen (Theodore White) Gaffney, Janet (James) Berard, Michael (Melissa) Gaffney, Nancy (Harold) Domchick, Maryanne (John) Hossick and Eileen Gaffney. She was also a beloved grandmother and great-grandmother. Born in Guttenberg, New Jersey, on April 17, 1924, to Jennie and Thomas McMahon, “Dot” grew up in a happy, loving family with her older sisters Kay and Gen, and younger brother Tom, who survives her. After WWII, she married Joseph Gaffney on June 8, 1947. They resettled in Greenbelt, Maryland, with their two children in 1950, where they continued to raise their growing family and came to cherish and love their new hometown. She also loved her Sales Receptionist job at GHI from 1971 to 1981. In 1980, “Dot and Joe” bought their last home on a five-acre lot in Riverdale, Maryland, creating “The Gaffney Compound”. Dorothy delightfully enjoyed hosting family and friends there for over 35 years. A devout Catholic, she attended Mass at St. Hugh’s in Greenbelt, and sent her children to the St. Hugh’s Parish school. Dorothy lived a full and happy life and was always generous with her love and caring. She will be forever loved by her family and others who shared in her friendship and grace. Mass will be held Wednesday February 21 at 10 AM, followed by her burial at Greenbelt Cemetery on Ivy Lane. For those wishing to make a charitable donation in her name, the family suggests Catholic Charities or St Hugh’s Catholic Church.

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