Dorothy Jeanette Glisson

Dorothy Jeanette Glisson (Alday) left this earthly world peacefully to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, passing away in Lakeland, Florida, at her daughter and son-in-law's home.

Born in Donalsonville, Georgia, on August 9, 1934, to Allene Croley Alday and Byron Alday, Dorothy spent most of her life in Bartow, Florida. She graduated from Mulberry High School. She spent many years as a homemaker, but those years were truly spent making a home and ensuring her family was cared for while her late husband worked for U.S. Agri-Chemicals. The greatest joys of her life were the Lord and her husband. She was an accomplished seamstress, even teaching herself upholstery, and developed great cooking skills throughout her life. She spent many hours making loving dinners for her family. She also never feared a hammer and nail, taking on many home improvement projects herself that others would've never touched. She took great pride in loving and taking care of her daughter, Barbara Jean, granddaughters Celeste and Celena, her great-grandson Dylan, and great-granddaughter Kassia, whom she and her late husband adopted in November 1992.

She also deeply loved her late brother, sister-in-laws, cousins, and other relatives, including her late aunt Pearl Yates and late cousin Betty June Justice.

She enjoyed reading the newspaper, especially the Desser Dots N Dashes, originally written by her cousin Myrtle Young in the Donalsonville News, her hometown newspaper, and saved many newspaper clippings over the years of poems and stories that resembled her feelings and perspectives on life.

She particularly enjoyed crossword puzzles, cooking for her family, and 3 Musketeers. More than anything, she took great pride in her yard and garden, ensuring its flawless appearance, and loved mowing the grass with her riding lawnmower.She spent her last years in the home with her daughter, Kassia, and son-in-law, Ali, as well as her best furry companion & dinner-buddy, Lilly (who she loved to share spaghetti with). There, she spent many days enjoying her favorite breakfast (a biscuit soaked in hot instant Folgers coffee), dinners of okra with cornbread, and nights watching her favorite TV shows like Gunsmoke, Reba, The Golden Girls, and Mama's Family.

She was of the Baptist faith and is now in the arms of Jesus.

She was preceded in death by her late husband of 56 years, Milton "Buddy" Glisson, her parents, Byron Alday and Allene Croley Alday, and her brother, Edward Alday. She is survived by her daughters Barbara Glisson Tower (Richard) and Kassia Glisson Alamm (Ali); granddaughters Kristal "Celeste" Fowler and Kristin "Celena" Richardson Welch; and great-grandson, Michael "Dylan" Fashbaugh. Countless nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones remained in her thoughts and memories fondly through her last days.

Visitation will be held at Whidden-McLean Funeral Home in Bartow, Florida, on Monday, October 26, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., with a procession and graveside service immediately to follow at Wildwood Cemetery in Bartow.

Condolences to family at www.whiddenmcleanfuneralhome.com