Marie Dawson Shortt

SHORTT, Marie Dawson, 91, of Prince George County, Va., died on Saturday, August 15, 2009 at Greenfield Assisted Living. She was the widow of Lloyd C. Shortt. They were married 58 years before his passing in January 1993. Mrs. Shortt was born in Chase City, Virginia July 29, 1918, moving to the Tri-city area at the age of four on the death of her mother, Lucy Goode Cox Dawson. She was also preceded in death by her father, Benjamin "Pop" Dawson; two brothers, Charles R. Dawson and Robert E. Dawson; and one sister, Elsie Dawson Hamlin. She was employed at Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company 14 years before leaving to co-own and run for 30 years, Shortt's Radio and TV, one of Petersburg's first TV sales and service company. Later she and her husband ran Shortt's Grocery 10 years before retiring. Mrs. Shortt faithfully attended and was Deacon Emeritus of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Petersburg. She was a member of Clowns of America, International and Virginia Alley #3, Richmond, Virginia. As "SASSY" the Clown, she visited nursing homes, adult daycares, children's homes, painted children's faces at local department stores, and marched in the Ukrop's Christmas Parade until 85 years of age. She is survived by her daughter, Ann Jordan Cogle and husband, Rudolph (Rudy) of Prince George; four grandchildren, Fred A. (Jay) Jordan and wife, Lelia Jordan, JoAnn Jordan Britt and husband, Tim, Judy Jordan Smith and husband, Lee and Jill Jordan, all of Prince George; great-grandchildren, Jason Jordan and wife, Vera of Prince George, John Jordan of Prince George, Michelle Britt of Prince George, SFC Jordan Smith and wife, Megan of Savannah, Georgia, LTJG Julee Smith, USN, Bethesda, Maryland, David Smith of Virginia Beach, A1C Sheila Smith, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Justin Smith of Prince George, Lee Smith Jr. of Prince George and Alexis Cogle of South Hill; sisters-in-law, Mrs. Helen Dawson of Prince George, Mrs. Dorothy Shortt and Mrs. Beatrice Shortt, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; longtime friends, Mrs. Louise "Bootsie" Gibson of Colonial Heights and Mrs. Alice Ovsen Kibble of Portsmouth. A funeral service will be Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at 2 p.m. at First Christian Church, 301 South Boulevard, Petersburg, with the Rev. Jill Jordan, Rev. Ron Hopkins and Rev. Richard Hedrick officiating. Burial will be in Southlawn Memorial Park, Prince George. The family will receive friends Monday evening from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Petersburg Chapel of the E. Alvin Small Funeral Home & Crematory, 3935 South Crater Road. Flowers are welcome or contributions may be made to First Christian Church Trust Fund, 301 South Boulevard, Petersburg, 23805 or Prince George Emergency Crew, Box 308, Prince George, Va. 23875 Condolences may be registered at www.ealvinsmall.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.