Dorothy Grace [Pavao] Clesas died on Wednesday October 21st in her home surrounded by beloved family and friends. She was 67 years old.

The 7th out of the 8 children of Maria Pereira Pavao and Joseph Pavao of Attleboro, Dorothy grew up in the Portuguese Lonicut neighborhood of Attleboro, attended the Holy Ghost Catholic Church, and graduated from Attleboro High School in 1977.

She then moved to Rehoboth to raise her family. She was the co-founder of the Village Cobbler with her first husband, Gary Lavoie, and worked as a seamstress and leather worker while her little kids played around the shop.

Later in life she worked as a medical secretary in Taunton.

After the end of her first marriage, she met her second husband, George Clesas. They renovated the Rehoboth house, built a double-decker in Providence, and then moved into and renovated her family home in Attleboro after her mother died in 2015.

Throughout all these ups and downs, Dorothy remained dedicated to raising her children and taking care of those around her.

Everyone who knew Dorothy, loved her. She was a loving, nurturing, accepting, and creative daughter, sister, mother and friend who never forgot a birthday or anniversary and filled the places she lived and worked with exuberant creativity.

She was very proud of her five children and loved being "Vavo" to her 7 grandkids. She is survived by; her children Ericka and husband Drew, Joshua and wife Diana, Shawn and wife AnnaJo, Matthew, and Isaac and wife Rita; grandkids Julian, Persephone, Margo, Anson, Hildie, Juniper, and Lucas; siblings Maria, JoAnne, Joe, John, and Mike; along with many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband George, her brothers Roy and Luis, her parents Joseph and Maria.

Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend Visitation on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm in the "Memorial Chapel" of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro, MA followed immediately by a Rememberance Service at 7:00 pm.

A committal service will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 11:00 am at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery, South County Trail, Exeter, RI.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to ALS Rhode Island (https://alsunitedri.org).

For additional information or to send the family a written expression of sympathy, please visit the online guest book at www.dyer-lakefuneralhome.com.

Arrangements are under the direction of Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro, MA. Telephone: (508) 695-0200.