Dorothy M. Rudolph

Dorothy M. Rudolph passed away peacefully at the Henry Ford Hospice Residence on June 7, 2025, at the age of 96 years old. Born on July 20, 1928, in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, Dorothy was the first born of Gordon and Abigail Bulman. The oldest of the four "Bulman Girls," as they became known, she grew up with lots of girl chatter, laughter, and love in their close family clan. After the end of WWII, Dorothy continued her education and became a nurse. One weekend in1950, she joined a close friend who wanted to visit her boyfriend for Homecoming at Michigan State University. Dorothy was set up on a blind date with the boyfriend's roommate, Malcolm Rudolph, a WWII Army Air Force veteran. Dorothy and Malcolm hit it off and were married in Sarnia on February 19, 1952.

The newly married couple lived briefly in Toledo, Ohio. After Malcolm accepted a civil engineer job with Consumers Power, the couple moved to Muskegon, Michigan. As their family grew to four kids, Malcolm's career at Consumers took them to Bay City, Holland, and eventually Jackson, Michigan. Their four children kept them busy, especially Dorothy. With Malcolm frequently away on business she was often the one to manage the activities and antics of the Rudolph kids. Dorothy encouraged her children's interest in art, music, scouting, and sports. She was the neighborhood hockey mom extraordinaire.

She and Malcolm did a lot of traveling over the years throughout Canada and the United States. Camping trips or cottage stays "Up North" were a summer tradition when the family was young. Dorothy and Mal especially relished their trip to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland where the Rudolph name resulted in a warm reception. She continued her travels later in life to London and for frequent visits with her sisters, kids and grandkids scattered across the US and Canada.

Dorothy volunteered at the Ella Sharp Museum for many years. Once the older children began to leave for college and beyond, she then worked part time at the offices of two different physicians, Dr. Richards and Dr. Askins. After Malcolm died in 1991, she volunteered at the gift shop at Foote Hospital well into her 80's.

Still young at 62 when she lost her husband, Dorothy carried on living a fulfilling and independent life. She cared for the family home until just last year. It would not be unheard of to see her outside shoveling snow or blowing leaves, even in her 90's. She enjoyed lunches with friends, shopping, concerts, and musicals. She kept up with politics, was active on Facebook, and until she lost much of her eyesight, enjoyed reading and doing crossword puzzles. She was a beloved member of Arbor Grove Congregational Church, serving in a variety of roles.

Dorothy is survived by her daughter Maryann Herrera (Joe), son Mark Rudolph (MaryAlice), daughter Becky Carlson (Ted), sister Carol Shaw, and grandsons, Shawn Ouillette (Amber), Derek Rudolph (Jenny), Jack Carlson (Elizabeth) and granddaughter, Sydney Carlson, in addition to many cherished nieces, nephews and friends. Her husband, Malcolm, and son, Michael predeceased her in 1991 and 2022, respectively.

Dorothy loved her family, chocolate, and MSU. Fortunately for us she remained sharp until the end. Her Scottish ways, wit, and lively chats will be missed.

Our family invites all friends and family to join us in celebrating Dorothy's life on Saturday, July 19, 2025 at 2:00 PM at Arbor Grove Congregational Church, 2621 McCain Road in Jackson with a Coffee and Dessert Reception to follow the service.  The family will receive friends at the Church on Saturday, July 19 from 1:30 PM until the time of the service.

In memory of Dorothy, the family suggests making a donation to the charity of your choice.

Desnoyer Funeral Home
Family Owned for 135 Years