Mary Gertrude Dowling

Mary Gertrude Dowling, 94, passed away on Friday, June 30 in Vero Beach, FL after a brief illness. She was the daughter of Francis and Gertrude Cole and was born on November 29, 1928, in Philadelphia. Mary attended the Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls in Philadelphia. After graduating, she pursued a career as a professional model in New York City and later became a real estate agent in Connecticut. Throughout her life, Mary was admired for her great beauty, style, and charm.

In 1950, she married Dirk R. Dreux III of Mamaroneck, NY, who predeceased her in 1967. She then married her second husband, Victor James Dowling, of West Hartford, CT, and Vero Beach, FL, with whom she shared 41 years of marriage. Mary resided in West Simsbury, CT before retiring to Vero Beach, FL.

Mary was a dedicated student, collector, and patron of the arts. After raising her four children, in 1978, she enrolled at Smith College as a freshman and four years later, she graduated cum laude with a BA in Art History and later earned a Master's Degree in The History of Decorative Arts from Parsons School of Design. At Parsons, she wrote an original research dissertation on 18th-century American cabinetmaker Eliphalet Chapin. Mary served as a Trustee of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT and was the founding President of The Decorative Arts Council. She also had a love for the theater, dance, and her local book club.

In addition to her artistic pursuits, Mary was a passionate athlete and played tennis throughout her life. She shared her love for the sport with her children and grandchildren. She also took up golf and enjoyed playing until the age of 92. Her unwavering energy, exuberance, and sense of adventure will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Mary is survived by her three children: Dirk R. Dreux IV of Greenwich, CT and his wife, Mimi; Mark Dreux of Arlington, VA and his wife, Joan; and Diane Dreux Smith of Salt Lake City, UT and her husband, Leonard. She is also survived by her stepson, Victor James Dowling, Jr. of West Hartford, CT and his wife, Jody. Mary's grandchildren include Mark Dreux, Jr., Mary Brooke Dreux, Victor James Dowling III, Virginia Dreux, Alison Dowling Morris, Erin Rock (née Dreux), Peter Dreux, Caitlin Dowling, Caitlyn Camacho (née Dreux), and John Dowling. Her great-grandchildren are Lillie Kate Dreux, Charlotte Dreux, Virginia Dreux, Ava Rock, Grace Dowling, William Rock, Finnigan Morris, and Reed Dowling. Mary was predeceased by her siblings Francis Cole, Stewart Cole, Joan Cole Stokes, and Kathleen Cole.

Friends and family are invited to attend a Funeral Mass on Wednesday, July 12 at 10:00 am at Holy Cross Catholic Church, located at 500 Iris Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32963.



For those not able to attend in person, there will be a way to attend the funeral virtually. Please follow the YouTube link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Sd4dIOEMw

Expressions of sympathy can be shared online at www.strunkfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial contributions be made to National Cancer Institute at NIH in Mary's memory (https://www.cancer.gov/about-nci/overview/contributing).

Arrangements by Strunk Funeral Homes & Crematory, Vero Beach, FL.