Dorothy Andrews "Andrews" Conner

As she did with most things in her active life, Dorothy Mae Andrews Conner died surrounded by her family on August 17, 2025. She was 88 years young.

Dorothy, along with her beloved twin sister, was born in Staunton, VA, the morning of May 17, 1937, to Emma Beatrice Stanley Andrews and Woodrow Curtis Andrews. When Dorothy was 8, the needs of World War II brought the family to Front Royal where her father was transferred to support wartime manufacturing. Before long, the family moved to nearby Middletown. Dorothy graduated from James Wood High School in Winchester in 1955. She was class salutatorian, Beta Club Secretary, Latin Club President, Class Historian and a member of the Student Government Association as well as the yearbook staff. She also was active in Future Homemakers of America and the Tri-Hi-Y service club.

Dorothy met her future husband, Marshall Monroe Conner, at a community baseball game where Marshall played third base for the Stephens City team. They dated a number of years before they were married on December 31, 1960, in Middletown. They lived in Stephens City for the rest of their lives.

Dorothy worked in banking for 47 years. She started her career with Shenandoah Valley National Bank, where she worked her way up to assistant vice president and through many bank mergers. She worked as a financial analyst for the bulk of her career. She was actively involved in several professional organizations, including Financial Women International and the National Association of Banking Women, for which she served as a regional chapter president. She also managed the books for the family farm.

While working at the bank, Dorothy earned her associate's degree in business administration from the local community college. Geology was her favorite subject. Dorothy also took an active role in her daughter's education and school activities, including driving the student council officers to activities all over the Shenandoah Valley and traveling with the James Wood High School forensics team to local, regional, state and national tournaments as a volunteer judge. She also provided enthusiastic support for games and theatrical pursuits staged in the back yard.

Dorothy loved reading, gardening and traveling. She also loved any activity that involved time with her family. As well as time with her daughter, she loved time at the farm and travels with her nephew and niece, who really were more like a son and daughter to her. And she loved nothing better than time with her great nephew and great nieces, who were equally devoted to her. Dorothy was a beaming fixture at their 4-H and Future Farmers of America events. She never missed the kids showing their animals at the Frederick County Fair.

Dorothy also loved time with her church family at Grace United Methodist Church in Middletown. She taught Sunday school there when she was younger, and she was a member of the United Methodist Women for decades. Just this past spring the church awarded the first scholarship in Dorothy's name, to honor her long-time support of the church's youth group. Dorothy was proud to present an award honoring her devotion both to education and her church.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her twin sister, Doris Ann Andrews Cooley, and brother-in law, Richard Miller Cooley; her brother, William Andrews; her infant sister, Sarah Margaret Andrews; and her niece-in-law, Gretchen Scothorn Cooley. Dorothy is survived by her daughter, Laura Mae Conner, and son-in-law, Joseph Yablonsky; her nephew, Smith D. Cooley; her niece, Ann Cooley Wisecarver, and nephew-in-law, Jason Wisecarver; her great nephew, Keller Cooley; and her great nieces, Corinne Cooley and Emma Wisecarver.

The family will receive friends at Jones Funeral Home in Winchester on Friday, September 5, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A funeral service will be held at Grace United Methodist Church in Middletown on Saturday, September 6, at 11:00 a.m., followed by burial at Shenandoah Memorial Park in Winchester. Pastor Mary Lock will officiate. Family and friends may also visit at the church during the hour before the funeral, as well as at lunch at the church following burial. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Grace United Methodist Church of Middletown, the Stephens City Volunteer Fire Department or the Middletown Volunteer Fire Department.