Dorothy Carole Schwellenbach went peacefully to be with the Lord on November 21, 2023 at the age of 95.

Dorothy was born February 5th, 1928 in Oroville, CA to Ray and Ethel Dickenson. She spent her childhood there, graduating as salutatorian from Oroville High. She then attended Chico State where she earned her Bachelor’s in Mathematics, graduating magna cum laude in 1951. During this time, she also met her future husband, John (Skip) Schwellenbach.

The two married in Oroville on June 10, 1949. They eventually moved to Salinas where they raised their four children. Dorothy began teaching math at Hartnell College in the ‘60s and earned her Master’s in Mathematics in 1982 from San Jose State. She retired from teaching in 1988 but continued tutoring until 2020.

Dorothy’s passion was education. She took every opportunity to teach, whether in the classroom, her home office, or at the kitchen table using m&ms with her grandchildren and even great grandchildren. It’s unlikely you would speak to someone in Salinas who wasn’t either personally tutored by her or knows someone who was. She was a wonderful cook, from holiday meals to thoughtfully planning everyone’s favorite dinner and cake for their birthdays. Her recipes will be passed down as some of her family’s favorite memories with her. She loved reading mysteries, playing cards, and finding a good sale on her favorite candies. She could answer every question on Jeopardy and solve every Wheel of Fortune puzzle before the contestants did. Dorothy was a faithful Christian and attended church with her family as long as she was able.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband John (Skip) Schwellenbach, her son Johnny Schwellenbach, and her sister Laura LaVoy (John).

She is survived by her four children, their spouses, 11 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren. They include her daughter Jan Schwellenbach, grandchildren Brett and Heather Dang (Dan), and great granddaughter Mina Chang; son Jim Schwellenbach (Jane), grandchildren Ashley, Joel, Sierra, Skye, and Orion Schwellenbach; son Don Schwellenbach (Emily), grandson Blake Schwellenbach (Abby), and great grandchildren Paylynn, Lilliana, and John Schwellenbach, and granddaughter Samantha Schwellenbach; and daughter Patty (Pat) Marchello, granddaughter Jennifer Bartley (Brendan), great grandchildren Brendan, Drew, and Cole John Bartley, granddaughter Stephanie Wilson (Michael), and great grandson Ezra Wilson.

Dorothy’s Memorial Service will be held Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 12 PM at Compass Church, 830 Padre Drive, Salinas, CA 93901. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hartnell College Foundation Dorothy Schwellenbach Scholarship, a women’s math scholarship founded in Dorothy’s memory.

Hartnell College Foundation

Attn: Dorothy Schwellenbach Scholarship

PO BOX 2258

Salinas, CA 93902