Dorothy Cecilia Barter

Age 87, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania peacefully passed away on August 8, 2025.
Born January 26, 1938 in Independence, Missouri, she was the second of three children. She grew up exchanging pleasantries with former President Harry Truman on his routine morning walks around town.
In 1960, she became a registered nurse and began working at St. Mary's Hospital in Kansas City.
In 1961, she married James and they moved to Lawrence, Kansas as he completed his PhD at the University of Kansas. Work and home life soon blended as she had the opportunity to apply her nursing skills to a household of active boys, with frequent need of hydrogen peroxide, iodine swabs, butterfly bandages and on-site triage prior to frequent emergency room visits. In addition to caring for their medical needs, Dorothy provided unwavering love, support, fun, humor and commitment to instilling values and the importance of learning.
She enjoyed playing card and board games with her children and grandchildren, and she was a voracious reader, especially of historical non-fiction. She was an avid gardener and enjoyed watching movies, especially old ones. Dorothy loved to travel and had the opportunity to do so extensively across North America, Europe, Australia, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean.
Later in her career she went back to school to obtain her BS degree in nursing. She applied her considerable care skills at a variety of organizations, including schools, nursing homes, St. Clair Hospital, and SW PA regional dialysis centers.
She is survived by her husband of 64 years, James; her children (spouses), James (Andrea), Robert (Cindy), Joseph (Cathy), and Daniel (Heidi); her grandchildren Elizabeth, Scott, Katherine, Samuel, Rebecca, Jack, Chloe, Nick, and Owen; her sister-in-law Martha, and many nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death are her parents, Mary and James; siblings James McVay and Marilyn (Frank) Marqua, and other relatives.
A Celebration of Life event will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at Friendship Village (1290 Boyce Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241). A separate Celebration of Life and internment will be held in the Kansas City area at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:
Doctors Without Borders https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/ National Public Radio (NPR) https://www.npr.org/donations/support American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) https://action.aclu.org/give/now To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dorothy Cecilia (McVay) Barter, please visit our floral store.