Dorothy, one of the last of her generation of the pioneer families from the "West Pittsburg" area, was born on a farm in the Pittsburg, CA area to Francisco and Maria Fernandez, who were immigrants from the Azores. She was the middle child, having two brothers, Leo and Frank. The family leased land to grow livestock feed and some animals south of Pittsburg and then in "West Pittsburg". She attended the Ambrose one room school house where she liked to go, not only to learn, but to see a boy five years older from an adjoining ranch. She was valedictorian of her Pittsburg High School graduating class, began employment with Regal Pharmacies in Pittsburg when she was 16, and later rose to the position of the head bookkeeper for the chain of 13 stores. In 1940 she married Christopher Enes, who was "that boy" from the adjoining ranch. In 1941 Dorothy and Chris moved into a house built in 1938 by Chris's father, Antone Enes. Dorothy lived in the house until 10 days before her passing. In the 1950's Chris went into business for himself as a general building contractor and Dorothy did the bookkeeping and secretarial work for the business. Unfortunately Dorothy was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the late 1990's and needed care shortly thereafter. Her husband, Chris, died in 1987, and her youngest son George, in March 2011. She is survived by one brother, Frank, her son Jim, four grand- children, and five great grandchildren.
She belonged to the Portuguese organizations, Cabrillo Club, I.D.E.S., Luso-American, and the S.P.R.S.I., plus the church organizations, Altar Society, Catholic Daughters, and Regina Mundi Guild.
Funeral liturgy Friday, May 31, 2013 at 10:00am at Our Lady Queen of the World Church, Bay Point. Committal services following at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Lafayette. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to The Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org/norcal, Hospice of the East Bay, www.hospiceeastbay.org. or a charity of choice are welcomed.