Dorothy D. Watt

HUDSON - Dorothy D. Watt, 95, passed away August 12, 2022, from complications of Covid. She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, W. Doyle Watt, Jr., and her daughter, Carol Klepinger. She is survived by her children, David Watt (Diana), Mary Watt (Peter Schultz), and Kevin Watt (Sara Jones); her son-in-law, Steven Klepinger; her grandchildren, Sarah and Paul Klepinger, Colleen and Ellen Watt, Isaac Schultz, Bryan and Nina Watt, and her great-grandchild, Lillian Carol Shrider.

Dorothy was born December 20, 1926, in Springfield Massachusetts, the daughter of Dorothy Bufton Dome and Arthur E. Dome. She lived for a short time in Seattle, Washington where she was a playmate of her future husband, Doyle. The family moved to the New York City area in 1930 and settled in Brooklyn. She received a BA degree at Ohio Wesleyan University, where she was a member of the Alpha Mu chapter of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority. She played piano and organ and sang in the choir. Dorothy attained her Master’s degree in elementary education at New York University and taught for four years at Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn. She married W. Doyle Watt, Jr. in 1950, and they moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. In Grand Rapids, she raised her four children and was a charter member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church, where she remained an active member for the next 70 years. She was recertified for teaching at Western Michigan University and taught third and fourth grades in the Northview School District for 17 years. After she retired, she volunteered at the North End Community Ministry Food Bank and as a reading specialist in the public schools.

Dorothy was a warm, sweet-natured, caring person, who always put the needs of others above herself. She was quick to laugh, loved to sing, and was a fierce competitor at Bridge and Farkle. She was always lending a helping hand or bringing her incredible cookies, cakes, and pies to people in need. She never forgot a birthday or an anniversary. Her loving spirit will be missed by all who knew her.

A memorial service to honor Dorothy will be held at 1:30 PM on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Kent (UUCK), 228 Gougler Avenue, Kent, Ohio 44240. The service will be broadcast via Zoom to enable friends and family to attend without traveling. Connection details are available from the Watt family, Aldersgate United Methodist Church (Grand Rapids, MI), and the UUCK (Kent, OH).

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions can be made in her name to the North End Community Ministry [www.necmgr.org]