Dorise Dennis, a woman of God and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, was known as "Ma D" to her grandchildren and "Aunt Gloristine" to many others. She departed from this life after a long illness on Saturday, September 21, 2024, surrounded by family and friends at her home in Sanford, Florida.

Born on Saturday, August 10, 1940, in Sanford, she was the eleventh child of Willie Ann and Eugene Miller. After her parents' death when she was around seven years old, Dorise was able to stay in the family home along with some of her siblings when one of their older brothers, Willie (Brother), became their guardian. After finishing middle school, Dorise moved in with her brother Anthony (Pooh) so that she could stay in Sanford. Following her graduation from Crooms Academy, she went north to join her sister Hattie in New York City where she worked for the U.S. Post Office until her marriage to Willie Dennis, Jr., on December 31, 1959.

The couple lived for several years in Jamaica, Queens, where they had three children: Lisa, Willie, and Jeffrey. They subsequently moved to Westbury, Long Island. Those were incredibly busy years for the family, filled with hard work but also much joy in spending time with friends and family and eventually helping to raise their oldest grandson, Patrick.

Dorise played a key role in the side businesses that the couple initiated to supplement their family income, including catering parties on Long Island. She took delight in gardening and maintained a beautiful home filled with African American and African art. She was an avid reader of African American writers like Toni Morrison and loved to travel. She and Willie made trips to the Caribbean and Europe, occasionally joined by her siblings Dora, Betty, Mae, and Josh.

As someone who always had time to lend a listening ear and offer wise counsel, she regularly carved out time for a large circle of friends and extended family. She and Willie frequently hosted parties for friends and family to mark special occasions. For many years the holidays meant packing up the kids for trips to Rochester to visit family and in turn hosting many Rochester family members for Memorial Day weekend.

When Dorise and her brothers and sisters came up with the idea for the Miller-Smith Family reunion in the 1980s, they created a tradition that stands until today, with Miller-Smith descendants gathering every two years in Florida.

After Dorise and Willie decided to retire in Sanford in the 1990s, Dorise enjoyed the opportunity to see her family in Florida more frequently as well as spending time with friends and extended family who were visiting Florida.

Faith and love of God have always had a central place in Dorise's life. She and her husband were long-time members of Westbury Community Church, serving as active members of the congregation that helped build and maintain the church. After they moved to Florida, they joined One Church in Longwood. When illness prevented her from attending church, she would receive communion at home from Pastor Stan and devotedly listened to gospel music on Sundays.

She is survived by her husband Willie; sons Willie Eugene and Jeffrey (Jackie), and grandsons Patrick Rucker, Grant Dennis, Lee Dennis, and Michael Dennis; her brother Joshua Miller; Aunt Evelyn Fountain; and a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her daughter Lisa, grandson Matthew, and siblings Willie (Brother), Golden, Hattie, Dora, Anthony (Pooh), Charlie (Junior), Willie Ann (Betty), Matthew (Mack), Vivian, and Bernice (Mae).

She touched many lives with her big heart, keen intelligence, ready smile, deep integrity, and resilience in the face of adversity—an inspiring legacy that all of us are called upon to carry forth to honor her memory.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Dorise's name in support of St. Jude's online at www.stjude.org, by phone at (800) 805-5856, or by mail (St. Jude at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105).