Dorothy Mary Episcopia

Dorothy Mary Episcopia (1945–2026)

Dorothy Mary Episcopia of Rockville Centre and Garden City, NY passed away on March 12, 2026.

Dorothy was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1945 to Walter H. Awe, Sr. and Dorothy Awe. Her parents later settled in Mineola, NY. She attended Mineola High School before graduating from Wheaton College in Norton, MA in 1967. She married her husband Nicholas in 1970, and they settled in Garden City, where they resided for 45 years.

Fluent in French, Dorothy’s interests included art history, singing, and painting. Everyone who knew her recognized how dedicated she was to whatever project she was pursuing. In 2011 she was honored to be named one of the “Women of Distinction” by New York State Assemblyman Thomas McKevitt for her years of service to the Garden City community since 1976. Dorothy served as president of the Eastern Property Owner's Association and was a member of the Mayor’s Committee to Monitor Development Outside of Garden City. She also served on the Nassau County Advisory Council to the New York State Division for Women under Governor George Pataki. In the early 1980s, the Garden City Board of Education appointed her to the first Long Range Facilities Planning Committee. Dorothy served as founding co-chair of the district’s Arts-in-Education program, served on the PTA Executive Committee, and was chair of the PTA Student Loan Fund. She was one of the first civic members of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce and was a group leader for the Pre‑Cana program at St. Joseph’s Church. When named a “Woman of Distinction,” Dorothy said she was “grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many people,” adding that she could never have completed her work alone and that “there is no ‘I’ in team.”

In recent years, Dorothy and her husband Nick moved to Rockville Centre and became very active in St. Anthony’s Church in Oceanside. Dorothy served as Recording Secretary on the board of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus Father Joseph O’Connell Council #3481 and was also a dedicated lector for the parish.

Dorothy is survived by her husband Nicholas; her children, Jennifer O’Hanlon (Peter) and Gregory (Briana); and her beloved grandchildren, Timmy, Michael, Katherine, Elizabeth, and Henry. She was predeceased by her parents, Walter H. Awe, Sr. and Dorothy Awe; her brother, Walter H. Awe, Jr.; and Eileen Awe Hupp.