Dorothy Holden Werlich

Dorothy Holden Werlich
lived in Chelmsford, MA, former president of New England Association of Realtors; 90

WESTWOOD, MA -- Dorothy Holden Werlich, 90, died on August 31, at Clark House at Fox Village nursing home in Westwood, MA, formerly of Chelmsford, MA.

She was born on March 18, 1921, in St. Paul, MN, to Clarence and Mary Stuart Hodgins Holden. Dorothy was a 1939 graduate of the University of Minnesota and a life-long learner, garnering a master's degree and additional credits.

Over the years she taught math, science, and business courses at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. At the University of Minnesota she met aeronautical engineering student, John David Werlich of Minneapolis. Soon after receiving his degree in 1940, Werlich entered the U.S. Army Air Corps. The next year Dorothy and her 16-year-old sister, Margaret J. Holden drove to California, where Dorothy married David. She was a model military wife for the next half century.

In World War II, John David was a senior Command Pilot with the Military Air Transport Service, ferrying squadrons of military aircraft to the North African and Asian theaters of the war. Dorothy taught school and volunteered as a Red Cross hostess with the USO.

After the war, the Werlichs settled in St. Paul where John David was an engineer for Northwest Airways. He was called back to active duty for the Korean conflict in 1950 and remained in the service until 1968, retiring at the rank of Lt. Colonel. During these years, John David and Dorothy were posted at Spokane, WA, San Bernardino, CA, Vandenberg, CA, Dayton, OH, and Bedford, MA. Colonel and Dorothy Werlich made their final home in nearby Chelmsford, MA. Dorothy entered the real estate business, while her husband served three tours of duty in Vietnam. John David later joined Dorothy as a realtor ultimately with the De-Wolfe organization. Dorothy won many awards for her success in real estate sales and was elected president of the New England Association of Realtors.

The Werlichs were childless but had deep bonds with their families, notably with Dorothy's only sibling, the remarkable Margaret. Especially after Colonel Werlich's death in November, 1993, the two sisters exchanged long visits between Chelmsford and Margaret's home (their deceased parents' house) on Laurel Ave. in St. Paul. They phoned each other at least once every day. A 1954 graduate in business administration from the University of Minnesota, Margaret was a prominent civic activist and a 35-year employee of the Great Northern Railway. She became the highest ranking female officer of the company, but could not break the glass ceiling into upper management. In 1981, she filed a gender discrimination suit against the company and several railway unions. This later became a class action involving almost 8,000 women. Holden vs. Great Northern, settled in 1986 in Margaret's favor, is a landmark in the struggle for women's rights.

Following Margaret Holden's death in 2006, money arising from this settlement funded two student scholarships at Minnesota named for Margaret and Dorothy, as well as the Margaret Holden and Dorothy Werlich Endowed Professorship in the university's Carlson School of Business.

Dorothy's survivors include several Holden family cousins and her nieces and nephews from John David's side of the family. The former include Rosalie Shier of Green Bay, WI, Sharon Holden of Franklin,Wisconsin, Charlette Haugen of Seattle, WA, Clarence Holden of Mt. Vernon, WA, and Lolita Johnson of Woodbury, MN. The latter include Melody Werlich Roebuck and Kim Werlich Flippo (children of brother, Arthur Werlich), and Eugene J. Werlich, Mary Catherine Werlich Charlson, and David P. Werlich (children of brother Eugene G. Werlich). Over the past two decades , the Chelmsford Werlichs developed especially close ties to their most geographically proximate relatives -- great nephew, David A. Werlich, Tara Ryan Werlich, and their sons, Michael and Jeffrey, of Norfolk, MA. These younger Werlichs experienced the kindness, generosity, and irrepressible good humor of Uncle John David and Aunts Dorothy and Margaret.

Physical debility and progressive dementia sent Dorothy to the nursing home in 2006. During her final years, Dorothy received loving care and companionship from her home health aide, Elaine DiMarzio.

WERLICH -- Her funeral will be held at the Bradshaw Funeral Home, 678 Snelling Ave. So., St. Paul, MN 55116 on Thursday, September 8, 2011. Greetings will begin at 10 am followed by a service in the chapel at 11 a.m. Following the service, Dorothy will be interred near the grave of her dear husband at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Margaret Holden/Dorothy Werlich Scholarship Fund, University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, 321 19th Avenue So., Minneapolis, MN 55455; Partners Healthcare at Home-Private Care, c/o Development Office, 125 Nashua Street, Boston, MA 02114 or St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 1895 Laurel Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104.