Dorothy Mae Bitzer
August 21, 1923 – October 6, 2024
Long-time Martinez resident
Dorothy Mae Bitzer, born August 21, 1923, passed peacefully from old age in her Marathon Florida home on October 6. She was 101 years young, born in Cochrane Wisconsin, also lived in Billings Montana before moving her family to Martinez California in 1960 where her 4 children graduated from Alhambra. She had a successful career in real estate with Old Olympia/Olympic Realtors and retired at the age of 79. She moved to Marathon FL at the age of 89 to be closer to her daughter Cindy. Dorothy enjoyed the good life of the Florida Keys and loved to go dancing at the Elks Club where she was one of the oldest members to ever join Elks at age 91. Dorothy loved to travel and cruised over 30 times, even up to her last year. One of her most memorable last cruises was winning a $5040 slot machine jackpot. Her 100th birthday party at Elks was epic as over 60 friends and family came from all over the country.
Dorothy is survived by her daughter, Cindy Casey and husband, Orthodontist Thomas Casey DDS, formerly of Martinez, now in Marathon; her son, Dennis Knutson and wife Julie of Camarillo, California; stepdaughter, Sheryl Him and husband, Javier, of Walnut Creek, California; grandsons, Jim Knutson of Marathon, Jack Knutson of Placerville, California, Brandon, Knutson of Camarillo, and granddaughter Linsey Knutson Williams of Camarillo. She was also blessed to have 12 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren.
Dorothy is predeceased by her two sons, James Keith Knutson, who died in Vietnam and Neal Wayne Knutson; as well as her one sister, two brothers and four husbands.
She was the last girl dancing!
Services will be private and in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to Marathon Elks Lodge # 2139, 8239 Overseas Hwy, Marathon FL, 33050. There will be a memorial webpage at: www.memorialplan.net/
