Obituary of Dorothy D. Durgin

Dorothy Evelyn Durgin (Geiss), age 97, of El Paso, Texas; Gorham, Maine; and Duxbury, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on July 14, 2018 with family by her side.

Dorothy was the beloved wife of the late Malcolm G. Durgin, devoted mother of David Durgin, and the late James Durgin;  cherished grandmother to Brenda Thayer  and Cheryl Pieri ; great grandmother of seven, and great, great grandmother of three.

Dorothy was born in El Paso, Texas, where she lived with her parents and sister.  

Dorothy moved to Gorham where she would graduate from High School, and marry Malcolm Durgin after graduating. They remained married for 59 years until his passing.

While in Maine, Dorothy loved being a homemaker and raising her 2 sons. She took great pride in her family and home. She had many hobbies including gardening, cooking, reading, travel, hooking rugs, and playing Bridge with friends. Dorothy enjoyed being active with the community and belonged to many clubs, including: the Woman's Club, Garden Club, Gorham Health Council, and Parent Teacher Organization.  Dorothy held all offices in the Woman's Club, chaired flower shows, and belonged to a Nature Group.  

For the next 20 years, Dorothy raised and showed Newfoundland's.   Dorothy is a Life Member of the Vacationland Dog Club. Many of her Newfie's became Champions and her dogs brought her great pride and joy.

Upon learning her son, James, was diagnosed with AIDS, Dorothy educated herself on the subject, involved herself with support groups and became heavily involved with the Aids Project in Portland. 

Dorothy became a charter memeber of the NAMES project AIDS Memorial quilt in 1989. This was Dorothy's proudest acheivement. She spoke at many schools and organizations,  traveled to San Francisco, Altlanta, and Washington D.C. with the quilt. She personally worked on 30 + quilts for people who needed help.  Dorothy received a "Social Justice" award from the New England Conference of Methodist Churches for her work, however her biggest satisfaction came from  hugs from AIDS patients or their families.

While in Duxbury, Dorothy kept busy enjoying hooking rugs, reading, spending time at the senior center, visiting and making new friends.  Dorothy cherished time with her family, especially during holidays, Thanksgiving being her favorite.

Dorothy was a kind, compassionate, and loving person to all who met her.  She retained her sense of humor as her health declined, telling nurses,"please excuse my grumpiness, I'm an old lady".

Dorothy will be greatly missed by all whom have come to know her. The family would like to offer a special thank you to her friend Cathie and family for their help over the years, and the nursing staff at Wingate who lovingly cared for her.

Family and friends will gather at Dorothy's home in Gorham, on Sunday August 19, 2018  at 12:00 pm, for a Celebration of this amazing woman's life.  In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice, as Dorothy donated to many charities throughout her life.