Carmella "Dolly" Spitznagel's friends and family described her as adventurous, fun loving and active during a retirement replete with square dancing, RummyCube and travel.

The O'Hara woman was also a little goofy -- goofy about Goofy, that is.

Mrs. Spitznagel, who died Monday at age 75 after suffering a stroke, boasted a massive collection of Disney memorabilia featuring the buck-toothed talking dog. She owned more than 1,000 items ranging from figurines to watches, slippers to squirt guns, T-shirts to pillows, said her daughter, Laura Dunning.

The collection began in fun as mother and daughter traded gifts. But in the mid-1990s, it propelled Mrs. Spitznagel to her 15 minutes of fame.

Mrs. Spitznagel contacted a TV show on the nascent FX network that featured people's collectibles. She made her case for inclusion; a crew from New York came to film at her home and she and her Goofy paraphernalia were featured.

Mrs. Spitznagel, a retired saleswoman for area florists, was not well known beyond her community, but her local impact was profound. She was a shining light among her friends, keeping them positive with her upbeat attitude and launching a chapter of the Red Hat Society about two years ago.

The society, formed by women around the country to flout conventions and have fun, provided comfort and companionship to the O'Hara-area group's members, many of whom have lost their husbands.

"My children had been saying they were happy that I got involved myself instead of dwelling on my husband's death," said Gloria Schneider, 79, of Harmar, a friend of Mrs. Spitznagel's for 20 years.

"Dolly made it possible with her starting this local chapter for a lot of women in my situation and her situation to have a friendship and to have a get-together once a month. It meant a lot to us."

Mrs. Spitznagel, who stood less than 5 feet tall, grew up in the Hill District. Her father called her his "dolly" because of her tiny stature, and the nickname stuck. It stood her in good stead when she married her husband, Wally. He would joke that he married her because their names rhymed.

Mrs. Spitznagel left school in 11th grade. She worked as a waitress and in a candy factory. She stayed at home to raise her three children and then went back to work around age 40 in the floral industry.

Her husband died three years ago, but Mrs. Spitznagel remained active with Silver Sneakers, the O'Hara AARP chapter and the Y-Knots square dancers.

"My mom was like the little Energizer bunny that never stopped. We always thought we would get her new batteries," said Mrs. Dunning.

In addition to her daughter, of Valdosta, Ga., Mrs. Spitznagel is survived by sons Keith of Hampton and Mark of Pensacola, Fla.; sisters Sarah Graf and Jean Massey; and seven grandchildren.

Family and friends will be received today at Bock Funeral Home in Shaler from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. A mass will be celebrated tomorrow at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Church in O'Hara.