Obituary of Dorothy Doyle

Dorothy Doyle, Olympia, Washington , 95 In the morning of Oct. 13, Dorothy left us to go on yet another of her extensive travels. She’d been to so many places, but there was always one or two more she longed to see. Mobility issues kept her from doing it lately, so she found a way around it -- pneumonia and a brief hospital stay. She was born in 1915 in Roxbury, Mass., the daughter of Lillian Hawes and Edward Michael Doyle Dorothy attended Simmons College in Boston and earned her Bachelors of Science (Librarian) in 1937. She worked as a Librarian at Philadelphia and New York Public libraries, then a supervising librarian for troop libraries during World War II in Europe and Guam. In 1947, she became the first County Librarian of the newly formed Tillamook (Oregon) County Library. Their history says “Her enthusiasm for providing library materials to isolated farm patrons and establishing library branches provided the framework for the countywide library system in place today.” In the mid 50‘s Dorothy joined Washington State Library (Olympia) in the Library Development unit where she worked with virtually every small public library in the state to help local staff improve their collections and procedures. In the early 1970s she was a major player in efforts to enhance access for local residents by combining small libraries into larger systems and districts. When she wasn’t criss-crossing Washington State she might be found riding a camel in Egypt or an elephant in India, trekking in Nepal, or sailing and flying in all sorts of crafts. At home she was noted for her Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day open houses, her hostessing of visitors, storytelling in nursing homes, and attending her friends as they made the end of their life journeys. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, by her sisters Lillian Broderick and Marion Hall. And by her goddaughter Barbara Ann Money. She is survived by her sisters’ children who live on the East coast and in California, by her goddaughter Kieran Lynch of Wenatchee, by her devoted family of friends, and by her “favorite girl in all the world”, 8 year old neighbor, Claire Merrigan. Dorothy will be attended by Funeral Alternatives of Washington (Olympia), an associate of People’s Memorial Associaton, and her ashes will be lovingly scattered somewhere in this great world she loved. She requested that any remembrances in her honor be made to a charity of the donor’s choice. Have a grand trip, Dorothy!