Obituary of Dorothea A. Dowell

Dorothea A. "Aunt Dot" Dowell, 92, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, June 18, 2012 with her niece by her side. She was a resident of Quinebaug, CT from 1984 until last fall when she moved in with family in Southbridge. She is survived by two brothers, William A. Dowell Jr. and his wife, Marion, of Beverly Hills, FL and George H. Dowell and his wife, Beatrice, of Putnam, CT. Her nieces, Patricia Merrill and her husband Rich of Southbridge with whom she lived, and their daughters, Katelyn and Jenna; Linda Dowell of Maine; Janet Richmond and her husband John, of Woodstock, CT and their daughters, Jillian, Julia and Joy; and nephew Mike and his wife Sandi of Texas and their daughter, Erin. She was born in Rhode Island, the daughter of William A. Dowell, Sr. and Dorothy E. Cutler and raised in Sugar Hill/Franconia, NH. She graduated from Dow Academy Class of 1938 as Class Valedictorian and received both her undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of New Hampshire. She began her teaching career in Idaho in 1942 where she worked for 2 years. She then taught in Maine from 1944-1956 before taking a job with the Dependent School System of the Armed Forces, teaching junior high and high school English and History to American school children on bases all over the world. She taught in Morocco, Turkey, the Philippines, Japan, Italy, England and the Netherlands. She made many lifelong friends during her career and traveled extensively throughout the world. Upon her retirement in 1984, she moved to Quinebaug, CT to be close to her family. Her greatest joy during this time was watching her great nieces Katelyn and Jenna grow up. She was babysitter extraordinaire to not only them but their two dogs, Isabelle and Spencer, who she grew very fond of and cared for as well. She was a member of the First Congregational Church of Dudley, MA, where she was involved with various activities over the years including the Ladies Benevolent Society, the church library and oversaw the bake table at many fairs. She also was involved in activities during early years at the Quinebaug Park where she lived, especially enjoying bocce and bingo. She enjoyed her coffee and sweets (especially Biscotti), crossword puzzles and had a great love of books and the written word. Her favorite gift to give was a dictionary! She also enjoyed watching sports on TV and had become a huge fan of the Boston Celtics this season, never missing a game. A Memorial Service will be Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 11:00 AM at the First Congregational Church of Dudley, 135 Center Road, Dudley, MA 01571. Private burial in Grove Street Cemetery, Putnam. Donations may be made in her memory to the First Congregational Church of Dudley. To share a memory with her family, "Light a Candle" at www.smithandwalkerfh.com