Dorothy M. McDougall

1928 - 2023

Dorothy M. McDougall
December 1, 1928 - February 9, 2023
Dorothy M. McDougall was born December 1, 1928, in Henry, Illinois, she died February 9, 2023 in Traverse City Michigan. Her mother, Louise Elizabeth Rowe, an amateur horticulturist, and her father, Lt. Col. Orman Rowe, raised her and her younger sister Prudence Cashbaugh, in a newly developed suburb of Chicago named New Lenox, where she grew up loving music, nature and gardening.
Dorothy married the Rev. Robert F. McDougall, in New Lenox on June 21st, 1953, and followed him through nearly 62 years of Episcopal ministry around Michigan. She served in many capacities at his parishes, organist, Sunday school teacher, church secretary, member of the altar guild. Dorothy loved her children, R. Bruce A. McDougall and Rachel L. McDougall, whom she raised with love, kindness, patience and discipline. When her children were little, Dorothy was the organist at the Episcopal Church in Albion Michigan, While they were supposed to behave, they often did not. She would let them know when she saw any mischief by playing strands of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star during the hymns other than the more serious religious music she was supposed to play. As her children grew, Dorothy began a teaching career that included teaching elementary school in a two-room country school, high school English, and French, at a private boarding school, and vocal music in Detroit and suburban West Bloomfield Township. As well as substitute teaching for Special Education classes in West Bloomfield She continued teaching English, in Prudenville. when the family moved to Higgins Lake in 1973. She also played piano for friends and family and after retirement, donated her services at nursing homes as well as BACN in Benzie County. She also was a decades long member of St. Phillips Episcopal Church in Beulah, MI with her husband Robert. Dorothy loved her giant dogs, five Saint Bernards, two Golden Retrievers and a Newfoundland. Her cats, Fritz, Carrie and Middie brought new meaning to the term spoiled. Dorothy was particularly fond of her gardens at Woods Edge House, her home at Crystal Lake, where she planted cuttings from her mother's gardens, and "found" native plants transplanted from the woods and roadsides in Benzie County. In her later years she continued her love for plants by planting lush pots of summer annuals on her balcony at Michigan Shores. Her family loves her, misses her and rejoices in the knowledge that she joins Robert and her parents in heaven. A celebration of Dorothy's life will be held at 2:00 pm Thursday, February 16, at St. Philip Episcopal Church with Rev. Skip Comer officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Arrangements by Jowett Family Funeral Home.