Dorothy Alice Spear Ross, 92 of Mattapoisett passed away Tuesday October 15, 2024. She was married to the love of her life Calvin E. Ross for 66 years until his death in 2018.
Dorothy grew up in Hyde Park where she and Cal were early childhood friends and started dating when they attended Hyde Park High and sang together in the church choir. One of her first jobs was in her parent’s laundromat – while Cal helped with the books. Together they raised their family in Quincy, Elmhurst, IL, and Braintree. There was a short stay in West Boylston before settling in Mattapoisett.
A devoted mother her favorite times were family events. Supporting her sons’ health, educational, sporting and musical efforts including many years as a den mother for scouts. Christmas was a favorite time of year during family get-togethers. As a devoted daughter, she provided daily support to her mother during her mother’s long fight with Parkinson’s disease and never missed a day when Lillian required professional nursing home care.
She was an advocate of education at all levels, supporting her husband’s efforts in his many years of night school to get his degrees. She encouraged her sons to advance in school and was very proud of the college courses she took. She found a special joy in volunteering at Braintree High School in the late seventies leading the daily Pledge of Allegiance over the intercom system.
Dorothy loved to cook and garden, and was both an avid singles and doubles tennis player and golfer – proud of her hole-in-one! She was a talented artist who loved to paint, knit, sew, cross-stitch, arrange flowers and so much more.
With Cal, she enjoyed traveling from camping at Niagara Falls to a cross country and Canada RV adventure. International travel to England, Scotland, Egypt, Asia and the Caribbean islands were planned with anticipation. Retirement winters were spent in Venice, Florida, with friends and family who had relocated there.
Dorothy was always active in the community through her lifelong commitment to church; she was an active member of the Mattapoisett Congregational Church, and former member of the First Congregational Church of Braintree and the First Baptist Church of Wollaston, MA. She shared her talents for many years volunteering and helping organize the annual Christmas Fair at the Mattapoisett Congregational Church, publishing the church’s community’s cookbook, as well as volunteering at the Mattapoisett Council on Aging.
While in her twenties, Dorothy worked at the local city library and the church. Later, while raising her family, she worked as a church secretary and as a legal secretary in Braintree. She also spent time in sales at Jordan Marsh and Shreve, Crump and Low. Dorothy was especially proud of founding and running her own clothing store, Elegance Renewed, in Marion.
She is survived by her sons, David Ross and his wife Emily Ross of Quincy, Donald Ross and his wife Ellen Ross of Mattapoisett, Richard Ross and his wife Kim Ross of Sandwich and Bradford Ernest Ross and his wife Lisa Logan Ross of Mansfield, as well as many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and step-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her brother Harry Warren Spear.
Her visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 23th, at 10:30 am with a service immediately following at 11:30 am at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Road, Route 6, Mattapoisett. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in Dorothy’s memory to a charity of your choice. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.
