Obituary of Dorothy Ann Morawa
Dorothy A. Morawa passed away abruptly at home on November 16, 2024, just three months after the passing of her beloved husband and best friend, Phillip E. Morawa. She was 81.
Dorothy was born on March 4, 1943, to Anna N. Lazorik and George J. Lazorik, formerly of St. Petersburg, FL, and grew up in Hartford, CT, alongside her older brother, George J. “Skip” Lazorik Jr. She graduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy in West Hartford, CT, in 1961, before completing nursing school at St. Joseph’s Infirmary in Atlanta, GA, and additional training at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, CT. Dorothy was a dedicated and compassionate nurse from 1963 until her retirement in 2007.
She had a warm laugh, a sharp wit, and a generous heart that made people feel known and loved. Dorothy cherished time on Cedar Island in Clinton, CT, where her parents had a summer cottage—a place of peace and joy.
Dorothy met Phillip at Sea Chantey Night at the Griswold Inn in Essex, CT. It was love at first sight. They married there on October 23, 1992, and spent 31 wonderful years together. Every August, they sailed to Block Island, RI, anchoring in the Great Salt Pond.
Their adventurous spirit led them to Key West, FL, for the first part of retirement, where Phillip worked as a chef at Pepe’s Café, and Dorothy continued her nursing career. After more than three years living aboard their Pearson trawler, they returned and retired to New England and settled in Winter Harbor, ME, in 2008—a community they loved and embraced fully. They cherished the Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia National Park, and the postcard scenery of Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island.
Dorothy is survived by her children from her first marriage to William R. Kaehrle: William Kaehrle and his wife Patty of West Hartford, CT; and Rosemary Kaehrle of Seattle, WA; her stepdaughter and Phillip’s daughter, Morgan E. Krump of Dexter, NY; her niece Jude McNiel and her husband Mark of Glastonbury, CT; and her cherished grandchildren, Alexandra Kaehrle of West Hartford, CT, and Martin Kaehrle of Madison, WI. She is also survived by their beloved Maine Coon cat, Mr. Mojo, who now has a loving home in Bangor, ME.
She was predeceased by her parents, George J. Lazorik and Anna N. Lazorik; her older brother, George J. “Skip” Lazorik Jr.; and her devoted husband, Phillip E. Morawa.
A joint memorial service for Dorothy and Phillip will be held on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, CT. Visitation will take place from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., followed by a non-denominational service at 11:00 a.m. A procession to St. Mary’s Cemetery in New Britain, CT, will follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor Dorothy and Phillip by donating to www.spcahancockcounty.org—a cause close to their cat-people hearts.
