Dorothy Darbyshire

Dorothy Darbyshire, 96 of Brewster passed away peacefully on August 14, 2011, in her home with family members beside her.  She was the loving wife of John Darbyshire, who predeceased her in 1997.Dorothy was born in Dover, New Jersey on April 14 ^th , 1915 to John and Elizabeth Smith.   She graduated from Morristown High School where she excelled at tennis.  Dorothy married John Darbyshire, her husband of 57 years, in 1938.  She was a devoted homemaker and worked as a secretary for the Morristown Board of Education.  In 1978, she and her husband retired to Harwich, Cape Cod.  During her retirement she was an active member in the First Congregational Church of Harwich, and volunteered in the church thrift shop and Albro House.

“Dottie” had a delightful sense of humor and was well loved by all she encountered.  For many years Dorothy, an avid birdwatcher, attracted a multitude of bird species to her feeders, including quail and wild turkeys. She loved all animals, especially dogs.  Sports were of great interest to her, and she enjoyed watching the Red Sox, the Cape Cod Baseball League, and tennis. She was seldom without a good book. She is survived by her daughter, Gloria Harris and her partner Michael Palomba of Budd Lake, NJ; and her son, Jack Darbyshire and his wife, Linda Darbyshire, of Brewster. Additionally, Dorothy had three grandchildren: Christopher Sutphen, Dale Sutphen, and Amy Darbyshire; and two great-grandchildren: Jaclyn Sutphen and Trevor Sutphen.  Dottie adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.The family wishes to express their appreciation to Dr Carol Topolewski, the staff of Hospice and Palliative Care of Cape Cod, and Kathy Berry of Brewster, for their care and support of Dorothy.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Dorothy to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, 869 Main Street, Brewster, MA 02631.

Dorothy touched many people’s lives and will be missed by family and friends.  A private memorial service will be held in the near future.