Dorothy (Riccitelli) Ceci, age 93, of Providence, formerly of Glocester, passed into eternal rest on December 28, 2025. She was the wife of the late Peter A. Ceci for 68 years. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Edward and Helen Riccitelli. She was the sister of the late Edward Riccitelli.

Known to her family and friends as Dottie, Dorothy loved sharing stories of her childhood summers spent with cousins and family at Gaspee Point. She proudly worked alongside her father as he designed and built their beach house from the ground up. From there, her love for home design was born. That passion later led her to thoughtfully design two family homes in Gloucester. For their first home, she made sure there was space for both their mothers to live. She and Peter were very energy conscious, and for the second home, they took a class on solar panels long before they became popular.

Dottie loved going dancing every Friday night during those teen summers at Gaspee Point. She often joked that boys her own age didn’t know how to dance—so she preferred dancing with older ones. She later met Peter dancing, and throughout their marriage she loved saying that he was indeed a very good dancer.

Dottie worked at Bullova Watch for more than 10 years, and took great pride in her service. She then devoted herself full time to home design and craftsmanship. In addition to designing the family homes, she handcrafted everything in them—bedspreads, drapes, tablecloths, dinner napkins, and even rugs. She frequently traveled to Connecticut mills to find affordable textiles, which she transformed into beautiful soft furnishings, clothes, and suits.

She especially loved decorating at Christmas, hosting a cherished, long-standing family tradition of celebrating at their home the Sunday before the holiday. Her family shares such warm memories of this Christmas tradition: seeing their beautiful, often handmade, decorations; delighting in delicious homemade candy and cookies; and laughing about mishaps traveling to Glocester in the snow.

Dottie hoped to be remembered by these words: “I did my best. Think kindly of me.” She deeply loved her family and her husband Peter, whom she missed terribly after his passing. She took great pride and care in all that she did, making everything she touched more beautiful. Grateful for the people in her life, she never failed to express her appreciation. When saying goodbye, she always added, “Love you back.”

Visitation will be held Wednesday, January 14th at 10:00 with a prayer service at 11:00 in the Maceroni Funeral Home, 1381 Smith Street, North Providence. Interment will be in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation or volunteer your service to a charity meaningful to you.