Dorothy Connellan

Mrs. Dorothy Smith McClendon Connellan Born in Donelson, TN on April 9, 1923.Passed away Wednesday, March 23, 2016.Preceded in death by parents, Daniel Graves McClendon and Jennie Stephens McClendon, husband William Francis (Bill) Connellan, brother and sister-in-law Daniel Graves McClendon and Virginia McClendon. Also preceded in death by nieces Jenny McClendon and Sherrie (McClendon) Tipton.Dorothy, or Dot, as she was known, grew up in innocent times, where the worst thing she ever did was smoke grapevine behind the barn; or, another time, with the help of a friend, throw her younger brother Clark from twin bed to twin bed with the unfortunate result of him breaking an arm when he landed on the floor, not the bed. Worried that their parents would find out, Dot and her friend set broken bone themselves, much to her brother's displeasure. Dot, also called Potty by her mischievous brothers, lived through the depression. She once related a story of how all the family had to eat one evening was an onion, which her mother fried and they ate. But times got better. Then World War II broke out, bringing soldiers to the airfield in Smyrna. One of those soldiers was Bill Connellan-a Yankee from Portland, Maine. Mutual friends set up a blind date for Bill and Dot, and as Dot later said many times, "we just fit together perfectly." They married on July 3, 1946 and were married over 62 years.Dot had an amazing ability to believe that everything would just work out, no matter what the circumstances-whether it was her bout with cancer, or her husband's brain surgery, she always trusted the right outcome would appear. And it always did. She drove her own car until she was past 90, when the decision was made it was time to stop. But she continued to take care of her home and her oldest son, Billy on her own.Dorothy loved SEC Basketball and Football; she was a diehard fan of Vanderbilt, but also loved Peyton Manning-in fact, the entire Manning family. Besides sports, her other passion was eating, and with a metabolism that was a gift from God, she did eat. The family would like to thank Subway, Hardees's, Burger King, Captain D's and Whitts Bar-b-que for the many happy hours they provided mom.Survived by her children Carol Harper (Greg Stoever), Billy Connellan, brother and sister-in-law Clark and Helen McClendon, niece Mary Clark (McClendon) Guenther, nephews John McClendon and Danny McClendon (Jodi).The family would like to thank Dot's amazing caregivers whose love and compassion are boundless: Ms. Johnnie McGill, Ms. Pamela Afoakwa and Ms. Rose Hoke. You made mom so very happy during these last months, and let the family breath a sign of relief knowing you were looking after her. Bless you all. Also, friend, caregiver and driver, Rebecca Bossart. Mom adored you.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Andrew Price United Methodist Church, 2846 Lebanon Road, Nashville, TN 37214.