Dorothy Zani de Ferranti Abrahamse, (always known as “Dee”) was born on 27 June 1939 in Schenectady, New York, to Marc Zani de Ferranti and Mabel Dorothy Parr (always known as “Dot.”) Her father, an engineer, was transferred a lot while Dee was growing up, and she learned early to adapt herself to different situations and make friends easily. In 1961 she graduated from Mt. Holyoke College, her mother’s alma mater. She spent a year in Europe, and in 1962 enrolled at the University of Michigan to study Byzantine history under her beloved teacher, Dr. J. Paul Alexander. In late 1964 she met Allan Abrahamse at a party, and a few days later, Allan asked her if she would join him for dinner on New Year’s Eve. She said yes. They would be inseparable for the next 60 years.
Dee and Allan were married in Ann Arbor on 20 May 1967. That Fall, around Labor Day, she and Allan arrived in Long Beach, California. Allan had secured a job at the University of Southern California and Dee a job at what was then called Long Beach State College, a city and college they had never heard of. They rented a sweet California Craftsman bungalow. Two years later, as the idea of staying longer in Southern California became more attractive, they bought a house on the Eastside of Long Beach, where they remained for the next 56 years.
Dee died on 5 November 2024 after four years of cognitive decline. Her mother had died for the same reason 30 years before, so Dee’s condition, while long dreaded, was not unexpected, and she embraced it openly and dealt with it gracefully. She was always cheerful and alert, and Allan promised her she would never leave home. On 4 November she had a zoom conversation with her sister; next morning, with her two sons Paul and Ben. She died shortly after that call.
She is survived by her husband Allan, their sons, Paul and his wife Hue and daughter Genevieve, and Ben, his wife Trina, and their son Aakash. She is also survived by her sister Katie Williams, her brother David de Ferranti and his wife Margot, and many nieces and nephews.
Dee supported many causes and was especially active with: Mt. Holyoke College, Friends Committee on National Legislation, the Long Beach Library Foundation, Friends of the Long Beach Library and the Long Beach Camerata Singers.