Mary “Dotty” Mulcahy, a free-spirited child of the 60s whose mischievous smile and sparkling blue eyes will live in the hearts of all who knew and loved her, died at her Provincetown home of ovarian cancer on September 16th. She was 70.
Dotty leaves her beloved wife Cherie Mittenthal, her McBride family, and many dear friends and relatives.
Orphaned at age 10, Dotty lived with her paternal aunt, the late Mary “Auntie” Mulcahy, in her Wellesley home. Five years later, while a student at Marian High School in Framingham, Dotty’s name was given by school administrators to a busy mother looking for help with her five small children. That referral changed not only Dotty’s life, but that of the entire extended McBride family of Weston who joyfully welcomed Dotty into their family. Dotty’s McBride siblings, Jack, Jane, Bob, Ann and Pauli, were with her in Provincetown during her final days as were her many friends who came from all over the country to say goodbye.
A graduate of Regis College in Weston MA, Dotty lived a life unbounded by convention. She was at Woodstock 50 years ago. She backpacked through Europe and Morocco in the 1970s. She drove a school bus and ran a wedding photography business before moving to Provincetown in 1981 where she and her then partner Diane Bains owned and operated the Check’er Inn guesthouse and Pilgrim Cab company for many years. She was a founder of Helping our Women, (H.O.W.), a Provincetown non-profit organization dedicated to providing support to women in need, she was also a founding member of the Woman Inn Keepers of Provincetown and was active in the community for many decades.
In 2014, Dotty met Cherie Mittenthal, the love of her life and they married in 2017. Together they enjoyed time on the sea and in the dunes with their dogs Harpo and Lily. They traveled to Thailand and Italy despite Dotty’s continuing health challenges.
An avid gardener, oyster and Champagne lover, passionate pickle ball player, ping pong player, and principled advocate for those whose voices are not being heard, Dotty had a gentle nature that belied a remarkable inner strength. She had a keen sense of humor, and her Irish wit and magnetism attracted friends from all walks of life. Her love was boundless; her spirit endless. She will be greatly missed.
Her family extends their thanks and gratitude to her oncology team at Mass General Hospital and to the compassionate help provided by VNA Hospice but especially the volunteers that came every day to help and be with Dotty.
Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Dotty’s Life at 2:00 pm, Saturday, October 26th at Edgewood Farms, 3 Edgewood Way, Truro, MA. .
Donations in Dotty’s memories may be made to: Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, PO Box 756, Truro, MA 02657 or Friends of Thai Daughters, PO Box 370, Trevett, ME 04571 USA