Maria Amelia Dockery

Maria Amelia Dockery, born on April 28, 1930 in Lobito, Angola, passed away in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, on February 5, 2026. A memorial service will be held at a later date. She is survived by her former husband, Charles Dwin Dockery, with whom she remained close, and their three children: Frederic Emmanuel Dockery, Carmen Anita Dockery, and Natacha Dockery Livak. She is also survived by numerous grandchildren, nieces and nephews, including many relatives in her homeland of Portugal.

Maria Amelia was the second of four daughters born to Mario Alexandre Pereira and Josefa Martins Pereira. Raised primarily by her paternal grandfather, Silvano Felix Pereira, Maria Amelia spent the majority of her childhood in Lisbon, Portugal, returning periodically to Africa to live with her parents.

Upon completion of her university degree in Portugal, she enrolled at the Medical School of Lisbon; however, circumstances required her to leave her studies and return to Angola to support her family. She eventually resumed medical school in the Belgian Congo, but her plans were once again thwarted-this time by the 1960 revolution for independence from colonial rule. She eventually fled to Europe, where she restarted her higher education for a third time, pursuing clinical psychology at the University of Montpellier in France.

Following her studies, Maria Amelia gave birth to her first child, Frederic Emmanuel, in Montpellier. Though it was a challenging era for single mothers, Maria Amelia had the good fortune to find employment at Cayssiols Psychiatric Hospital, run by the Congregation of Saint Mary of the Assumption in the mountainous Aveyron region of South-Central France. These nuns not only welcomed her but also assisted in caring for her infant son while she worked. It was during this time that she met her lifelong friend, Janine Jean.

While visiting a beach near Montpellier with friends, Maria Amelia met Charles Dockery, an American studying in France on a Fulbright scholarship. She moved to the United States with her young son, and she and Charles were married on October 17, 1968. In this new country, in an unfamiliar language, Maria Amelia continued her interrupted career as a clinical psychologist.

First and foremost, Maria Amelia was a mother who took great pride in her children. Following the birth of her son, her oldest daughter, Carmen Anita, was born in Bangor, Maine, and her youngest, Natacha Maria, in Montpellier, France, during one of the several times the family lived in France while Charles directed Davidson College's Junior Year Abroad program. All three children completed college, and both daughters, inspired by their mother's example, earned multiple graduate degrees.

Maria Amelia's greatest joy during retirement was her grandchildren, who called her "Mimi", and of whom she was deeply proud. She loved hearing about their lives and when they were together, she especially enjoyed playing games with them. After relocating from Quebec, Canada, to Massachusetts, she quickly adapted to her new environment and cherished being closer to her family.

While her move from Canada often left her longing for the friends she had made in her adopted hometown of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, she was grateful for the new friends who welcomed her, both at her apartment in Lee and more recently at Fairview Commons in Great Barrington. She and her family are profoundly thankful for the kindness and attention provided by all her caregivers, especially her dear friend and caretaker, Deanna Zurrin.

Most importantly, Maria Amelia was grateful for the abundant love of her family and relatives who did so much to make her final years happy and comfortable.

Instead of flowers, please send a donation to La Maison Buissonniere, a non-profit organization focusing on children's socio-emotional development. https://maisonbuissonniere.org/en/make-a-donation/