Cardinals' Oldest SuperFan, Connie Dorsey, Has Died

Connie Dorsey, who rooted for the St. Louis Cardinals and attended opening games at various iterations of Sportsman Park and Busch Stadium for ten decades, died on October 30. She was 102 — and dated her World Series attendances all the way back to 1926.

Dorsey was profiled by freelance RFT writer Bill Christine in 2014, who reported that the retired schoolteacher might be one of the oldest fans in baseball.

Wrote Christine,

Dorsey has been to most home openers since the 1950s, and she occasionally dropped in on opening days in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Is she baseball's oldest fan? Well, last year a 111-year-old Yankee fan named Bernando LaPallo showed up in New York to shake Derek Jeter's hand. There were callous rumors that La Pallo was a mere 103, but either way, Connie Dorsey has a way to go. "She'll make it," says one of her friends. "She's never really had time to die."

Dorsey's physical therapist, who had helped her prepare for throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a Cardinals game at age 99, told Christine, "Her love of life is amazing. She looks forward to every single day."

Dorsey began her teaching career at a one-room schoolhouse and finished it after 37 years at Elizabeth of Hungary in Crestwood.

Her family said she had died peacefully in her home, where she'd lived for 66 years. Her husband, Bill, passed away in 1989, but she was survived by her daughter and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In her obituary, her family wrote,

Connie loved to travel. She wanted to see the entire world and meet people from every culture. She rode a camel in Egypt, sold mint in a market in Morocco, and visited schools in China, and threw out the first pitch of the Cardinals season at the age of 99. One of her favorite adventures was a trip down the Murray River near Adelaide, Australia.

Connie often commented that she received bountiful flowers while she was alive, so please no more. She would love for you to repeat one of many acts of kindness you have shown her over the years. Please write to your old teacher, stop by and visit an elderly friend, or send some soup to an appreciative neighbor. Please do this in memory of Connie.

Dorsey's visitation will be held at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church Friday, 3 to 8 p.m., with a funeral mass Saturday at 11 am.

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