Dory S. Myers

Dory S. Myers December 30, 1934 - May 25, 2011 Dory was born December 30, 1934, to Mollie and Paul Schneiderman, in Portland, Oregon. She was the youngest of four. Her siblings were Jerry, Laine, and Leonard. Her parents were Russian Jewish immigrants who were in the nightclub and restaurant business. Dory experienced discrimination in high school, and became active in Jewish activities. Her favorite classes were kindergarten and drama. She graduated from the University of Washington in English, Drama, and Librarianship. Her library career included the University of Washington reference desk, Tacoma Public Library, and the Pierce County Library system. She was the librarian at the Key Center Library for more than twenty years, where she cultivated a deep sense of community through a welcoming atmosphere, commitment to excellence and a long series of culturally stimulating programs. She led many insightful book discussions over the years. She met her husband, William Grover Myers, on the houseboats in Seattle in the 1950s. They married in 1952 and moved to Tacoma, where they became active in politics in the 1960s. In 1968 they moved to the Key Peninsula. Their frugal lifestyle was guided by their moral and political convictions. They were seekers of truth and knowledge, and passionate advocates for social justice. Dory lovingly cared for Bill through several years of illness preceding his death in 2005. They had no biological children, but Dory was a second mother to a number of young people in the community, and the center of an ever-expanding circle of friends. She felt a "kinship with the earth," and all of God's creation. Following Bill's death, in retirement, Dory gravitated back to her social justice roots. She was profoundly moved by the 2003 death of Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer while protecting the home of a Palestinian doctor. Dory found her own strong political voice through the founding of Key Peacemakers, and continued her fervent advocacy for justice through the end of her life. She was also a highly valued volunteer at The Mustard Seed Project of Key Peninsula from its inception in 2006 until her death. She died Wednesday, May 25, 2011, following a rapid decline in health over six weeks, surrounded by friends each step of the way. Dory loved jazz, poetry and the art of Paul Klee. Some of her heroes were Dorothy Day, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Dennis Kucinich, Bill Bichsel, S.J., and Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now." Her love for justice fed her deep affection for the Catholic Worker movement, most especially those CWs at Guadalupe House in Tacoma, to whom she left her estate. She bids farewell to her dear friends"may we meet again." A Celebration of Dory's Life will be held Saturday, June 11th, 2 p.m. at the Longbranch Improvement Club, 5213 Key Peninsula Highway S., Longbranch, WA 98351. For further information, please call 253-884-1205 or 253-884-3920.