Dorothy Ruth Pirone facts for kids

Dorothy Ruth Pirone (born Dorothy Helen Ruth; June 7, 1921 – May 18, 1989) was the daughter of the famous American baseball player Babe Ruth. She was born to Juanita Jennings but was adopted by Babe Ruth and his first wife, Helen Ruth. Dorothy grew up believing Helen was her birth mother. She later wrote a book about her father called My Dad, the Babe (1988).

Dorothy's Early Life

Dorothy was born on June 7, 1921, in New York City at St. Vincent's Hospital. She was adopted by Babe Ruth and Helen Ruth and was raised to believe that Helen was her biological mother.

Helen and Babe Ruth separated between 1924 and 1926. They did not get a divorce because of their religious beliefs. Dorothy lived with her adoptive mother Helen after the separation. In January 1929, when Dorothy was seven years old, her mother Helen died in a house fire. After Helen's death, Dorothy went to live with her father and Claire Merritt Ruth, whom he married in April 1929. Dorothy gained a sister when Babe adopted Claire's daughter, Julia.

When Dorothy was 59 years old, in 1980, she learned that Juanita Jennings Ellias was her biological mother. Dorothy had known Juanita while growing up, but only as a friend of her father. She used to call Jennings "Aunt Nita."

Her Adult Life and Family

Dorothy married Daniel J. Sullivan on January 7, 1940. He worked for the Railway Express Agency in Brooklyn. Their son, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., was born in October 1940. He later had five children. Dorothy and Daniel also had two daughters, Genevieve Herrlein and Ellen Ruth Hourigan. Their marriage ended in 1945.

Dorothy later married Dominick Pirone in New York City on December 8, 1948. They had three children together: Donna Analovitch, Richard Pirone, and Linda Ruth Tosetti. Dorothy lived in Durham, Connecticut, where she raised Arabian horses. She also wrote her book, My Dad, the Babe.

She was involved in a legal case with Macmillan Incorporated to protect the use of Babe Ruth's name and image. This type of case is called a trademark dispute.

Dorothy Ruth Pirone passed away on May 18, 1989, at the age of 67, in Durham, Connecticut. She was survived by four daughters, one son, and 12 grandchildren.