Dorothy Nell Mallia

Dorothy Mallia, 92, passed away July 20, 2020 in Brenham, Texas at the Brenham Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where she was cared for by a loving staff.

Dorothy was born to Pauline Russo and Douglas Kitchell in Alta Loma, Texas on April 21, 1928. She is preceded in death by her husband, Marion Benjamin Mallia (BOI), her son, Louis B. Reed, her sister, Mary Elizabeth Faust, and her step-brother, Kurt Taeger Jr.

Raised in Galveston, Texas with her two sisters, Dorothy (also known as Dottie) graduated from Ball High School in 1945 where she was known as quite the “jitterbug.” Dorothy and Marion were married in 1956, and together in Houston, Texas they raised two sons from Dorothy’s prior marriage, Clifford Reed Jr. and Louis, and their daughter, Maribeth Katherine Mallia.

Always the worker bee, Dorothy ran her own daycare, owned her own auto title service, worked at Gay Pontiac, and clerked at Winn’s and Agee’s Drug Store, owned by her brother-in-law, “Dutch” Faust. One to never miss a social gathering, she remarked, “If you pass on an invitation, they’ll stop asking.”

Dorothy attended Our Lady of Lourdes for many years, and she was a dedicated member of Aldersgate Methodist Church. Later in her life, she volunteered with elementary school reading programs in the Santa Fe School District. She was a lifelong Democrat and member of the Galveston County Democrats Club who saw JFK twice and, at her husband’s insistence, traveled at the last minute to Arkansas on the night of Bill Clinton’s election to celebrate.

Well read, well dressed, and never without a newspaper article to share, still, she loved the “funny pages” the most. A talented artist, Dorothy loved giving away her paintings and other crafts even more than she loved making them. Her generosity was legendary. Dorothy was fun beyond words, and she left a legacy of love and laughter for all who knew her.

Dorothy always said of her eventual passing, “She would want us to grieve a little and then begin to laugh again.” Among the survivors who celebrate Dorothy’s life and wish her peace are: her baby sister, Katherine Larsen of Texas City, Texas; her step sister-in-law, Jackie Taeger of Groveton, Texas; her son, Clifford Reed Jr. and wife Debbie of Carmine, Texas; her daughter, Maribeth Dorr and husband Michael of Needles, California; her grandson, Tony Reed and wife Jennifer of Alvin, Texas; her grandson, Gerald Reed of Houston, Texas; her granddaughter, Jennifer Evans and husband Dwayne of Pearland, Texas; her grandson, Benjamin Dorr and wife Jennifer of San Diego, California; her many cherished great and great-great grandchildren; her dear cousin, Beverly Russo Steele, among many others; and numerous adored nieces, nephews, and friends in Galveston County and throughout the state.

Express condolences at CallawayJones.com