First wife of composer Irving Berlin. Born in Buffalo, New York, the daughter of Mary and Edward Goetz. In 1911, she met Berlin with whom her brother, Ray, had been collaborating. The couple's courtship was brief, within weeks, Berlin proposed. They were married in February 1912, and he couple took a honeymoon trip to Cuba. They were met by a typhoid epidemic on the island, and upon their return to the US, she fell seriously ill. Her health declined rapidly over the several weeks. Doctors were unable to halt the progress of the disease, and she succumbed to typhoid at the age of 20. Berlin was inconsolable for months. When, at last, he again returned to composing, one of his first efforts was a tribute to Dorothy; "When I Lost You," which was only one among the several songs he wrote in Dorothy's memory. For more than 13 years, he commissioned a local florist to place a fresh white rose on her grave every other day.
First wife of composer Irving Berlin. Born in Buffalo, New York, the daughter of Mary and Edward Goetz. In 1911, she met Berlin with whom her brother, Ray, had been collaborating. The couple's courtship was brief, within weeks, Berlin proposed. They were married in February 1912, and he couple took a honeymoon trip to Cuba. They were met by a typhoid epidemic on the island, and upon their return to the US, she fell seriously ill. Her health declined rapidly over the several weeks. Doctors were unable to halt the progress of the disease, and she succumbed to typhoid at the age of 20. Berlin was inconsolable for months. When, at last, he again returned to composing, one of his first efforts was a tribute to Dorothy; "When I Lost You," which was only one among the several songs he wrote in Dorothy's memory. For more than 13 years, he commissioned a local florist to place a fresh white rose on her grave every other day.
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