Dorothy Evan Rudert, 80-years-old, died in her home in Plandome on Friday, April 5. She leaves behind her loving husband, Tony, of 55 years, her beloved son Bryce and her "adopted" family Liliana Nealoh Rother and her children Jenni, Carly, Patti and JP.

Dorothy was a truly rare and wonderful person. She made all of use who knew and loved her feel special. In fact, her amazing gift to us was to make us each feel as though we were the amazing gift to her. Dorothy's zest for life was as contagious as her warm smile and hearty laugh.

Personifying a truly positive attitude in the fact of any adversities, Dorothy knew that ever cloud had a silver lining, and lived as if she meant it. Nobody like Dorothy could turn a cloudy day into a rainbow, a sad day into a peaceful and lasting memory. When she loved, she loved the way she lived, with all her heart and all her soul. Those whom she loved feel blessed to have benefited from her overflowing and unconditional love. But Dorothy was not a pushover! She was a breast cancer survivor, and a strong advocate of women's rights, of prisoner rights and of animal rights. If anyone dated hurt or criticize any of her loved ones, Dorothy reacted like a mother bear whose cubs were in danger.

Dorothy grew up in Bayside, Queens, and a voracious reader, she had read through the Bayside Public Library before she finished high school. During her older years, she was a frequent visitor to the Manhasset Public Library, where she "devoured" multiple books on a weekly basis, mostly non-fiction.

Her career as a well known interior designed took her to far away places and brought together two of her many passions: shopping and decorating. But Dorothy, determined to "live to be a hundred years old," did not stop with her first career. Later on in life, after surviving a near fatal bout with breast cancer, she worked as a secretary in Eastern States Bankcard of America in Lake Success, New York. There, she counseled and comforted many women who were themselves dealing with breast cancer. Driving to and from work, she noticed many stray dogs and other pets abandoned along the road. By the time she retired from ESBA, she had personally rescued hundreds of animals, encouraged others to do the same, and knew many North Shore Animal League workers on a first name basis. Not ready to retire, she then went to work at Manhasset Baptist Church as their beloved church secretary, where she was formally introduced to someone who had been working through her for years: God.

"While alive, she lived" is how the life of Dorothy Rudert can be summed up. A service of Celebration of Her Life will be held at Manhasset Baptist Church in Manhasset, New York, on Friday, April 19 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her name may be sent to the ASPCA, or to the Manhasset Baptist Church Youth Group.

In her life story depicted on the Biography Cannel, 4th District LI Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy said the person who had a profound effect on her life was Mrs. Warnes, her nursing instructor at what was then The Community Hospital at Glen Cove. Most of us are familiar with Rep McCarthy's travails, but the life of Anne Warnes who died Friday, March 29, 2002, at Duke University Medical Center, is just as moving. Her death followed weeks of treatment occasioned by a brain cyst, probably present since her birth.

Born at home in Glen Head, NY on May 25 during the Depression year of 1934 within days of the birth of the Dionne Quintuplets, she was at first not expected to live. With both a cleft lip and cleft palate and an enlarged head, she had to be fed with a medicine dropper. Years of hospitalization for plastic surgery (then a new specialty), speech therapy and orthodontic treatment followed. Teased and stared at by other children, she nevertheless advanced in school, eventually earning a master's degree in nursing education. Her mother taught her that she had to face the world the way she was. As a 6-year-old she would be walked to the Glen Head station by her sister, take the Long Island Rail Road into Penn Station by herself and meet her working mother who would take her for speech therapy. Always smiling she was called "Sunshine Annie" by her mother. She was tall and graceful and always determined to become a nurse. Rejected for admission by the then Dean of the Columbia-Presbyterian School of Nursing because of her appearance, she was devastated. But an application was accepted by the Dean of the Cornell School of Nursing, who then referred her to the renowned plastic surgeon Richard Stark, who did further work, taking no fee. She was the first female Newsday carrier, using the name "Andy" Heggie.

She held various offices at the nursing school and had been active in the alumnae association ever since her graduation in 1957. She had worked with the Visiting Nurse Association in Oyster Bay, NY, and taught at the Glen Cove Hospital until she left to raise a family, which includes three adopted sons. She married Philip Warnes in 1961 shortly after receiving her advanced degree from Columbia University under a National Institute of Health scholarship. Before she retired and moved to Durham, North Carolina, she worked as a nurse with the Home Health Care Services of North Shore University Hospital and along the way she voluntarily provided nursing care to many of her Manhasset neighbors.

In Durham, she was president of the Over 50 Club of Holy Infant Church, was one of the founders and later president of the Sunnyside Homeowners Association, a volunteer with Meals on Wheels and a visitor at nursing homes.

Predeceased by her parents Rose and John Heggie and her brother Dr. John F. Heggie, she is survived by her husband Lt. Col. Philip Warnes (Ret.) of Durham, her sons John and Robert of Colorado and William of Mt. Tremper, NY. She is also survived by her sister Marilyn DeLalio of New York City, two grandsons, seven nieces and nephews, two aunts, one uncle and numerous cousins.

A Memorial Service was held at Holy Infant Church in Durham. A Mass of Resurrection was held at St. Mary's Church in Roslyn, NY on Saturday, April 13. Burial followed at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to the National Endowment for the Arts, 1110 Pennsylvania Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20506 would be appreciated.