Dorothy Devereux O’Malley Bigley, 97, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey slipped away peacefully in her sleep on August 31, 2024, following visits by loved ones.  Dorothy lived a long and full life as a nurse, wife, mother, step mother, grandmother, great grandmother, daughter, sister, cousin and aunt.  Dorothy was predeceased in 1979 by her husband Benedict B. O’Malley, in 2002 by her second husband, Mr. Joseph W. Bigley,  and by all eight of her siblings: Thomas, William, Mary, Grace, Rita, Agnes, Janet and Eleanor.

Born to Mary C. McCormack of Co. Mayo, Ireland and William T. P. Devereux of Yonkers, N.Y., Dorothy grew up in the parish of St. Margaret of Cortona Roman Catholic Church in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York.  During World War II, she was accepted into the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps. which provided her the opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the College of Mount St. Vincent in Riverdale, New York in 1948.  After college, Dorothy worked as an operating room nurse at St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan and as a nurse for a construction company. 

She married Benedict B. O’Malley, Ph.D. of Manhattan, New York in 1954, and together they raised their six children—three girls and three boys.  After moving several times to support Ben’s college teaching career, including to Jersey City, New Jersey, they finally settled in Teaneck, New Jersey in 1969.  Dorothy continued with her nursing career as a private-duty nurse, a part-time department store nurse, and as a school nurse for over 20 years in the Teaneck Public Schools.  She earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Jersey City State College.  She continued her nursing career and supported her children’s educational achievements and career development after Ben’s death in 1979.

Dorothy had many interests that she pursued individually and with others.  Dorothy was a life-long learner, which she instilled in her children by her example.  Dorothy subscribed to many periodicals and maintained several sets of encyclopedias in the home, providing her children a window on the world.  She was an avid gardener with a bountiful vegetable garden.  She made jelly at home from currants she grew in her garden, and she shared cuttings from her houseplants and the roots from her prized peonies with friends and family.  She listened to Classical and Irish Traditional music, watched Jeopardy! and Masterpiece TV, and enjoyed reading until her last days.  She liked Pong, Pac Man and, in her later years, the FreeCell version of Solitaire.  She also did jigsaw puzzles and Sudoku, and played a strong game of Scrabble.

Dorothy was an active member of and served as a Eucharistic Minister for Saint Joseph’s Church in nearby Bogota, New Jersey.  It was there that she met Joseph Bigley and they married in 1992.  They moved to Mahwah, New Jersey after Dorothy retired from the Teaneck Public Schools, and they became active members in their new parish, Immaculate Conception Church.  She and Joe spent several years travelling throughout Europe and the United States.

Following Joe’s death, Dorothy settled at the Fellowship Village Continuing Care Community in Basking Ridge, New Jersey in 2008, where she became a very active resident.  Dorothy served on committees and initiated activities, including the Conservation Club, Thursday night BYOB, and an iPad club facilitated by local high school students.  She was particularly committed to welcoming the new Catholic residents into the Fellowship Community.

Dorothy was enthusiastic about maintaining contact with her cousins in Ireland, and with the families of her brothers and sisters.  For a time she used Facebook to connect with geographically-distant family members. And she appreciated the opportunity to connect with relatives through her iPhone.  She enjoyed engaging in genealogy research and her findings were appreciated by other family members.

Dorothy is survived by her six children, and their spouses, partners, children and grandchild: Dorothy A. Pearlman of Island Heights, N.J., her husband Alan and their children Erik, Jennifer, David and Sarah; Mary C. O’Malley of Manasquan, N.J.; Bernard B. O’Malley of Highlands, N.J., his partner Elcin Zan, his daughters Beth Boydag and Valerie Marks, and their grandson Jordan;  Robert W. O’Malley of Southbury, Connecticut, his wife Tricia and their daughter Annie; John F. O’Malley of Bayside, Queens, N.Y., his wife Kathleen and their two sons Thomas and Michael;  and Judith M. O’Malley of Manasquan, New Jersey and her two children, Megan and Conor Malloy.  Dorothy is also survived by her four step-children Maureen Morgan, Kathleen Zec, Joseph W. Jr., Timothy, and their families.

Visitation will be at Riverdale-on-Hudson Funeral Home, 6110 Riverdale Avenue, Riverdale, N.Y.  on Saturday, September 7, 2024 from 8:00 to 10:00 am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Margaret of Cortona R.C. Church, 6000 Riverdale Avenue, Riverdale, N.Y at 10:15 am.  Interment at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, 209 Truman Avenue, Yonkers, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests sending donations to Catholic Relief Services, 228 W. Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-3443.