Dorothy Siler Schenck

Dorothy Siler Schenck Dorothy Siler Schenck, 87, passed away Monday, July 21, 2008, in Dowling Park, Fla., after a brief illness. Mrs. Schenck was born in Franklin, N.C., moving to Tallahassee from Lake City in 1954 and retiring to Dowling Park in 1993. A descendant of a North Carolina pioneer family whose grandfather founded Franklin, N.C., Mrs. Schenck was the eldest of three children born to Julius Siler and Mary Wilbanks. Her father was an early member of the National Forest Service staff and was instrumental in the development of the national park lands of western North Carolina. Her mother was a registered nurse in Atlanta as well as Franklin. Mrs. Schenck attended Montreat College in Montreat, N.C. Mrs. Schenck was an active member of Faith Presbyterian Church, from the church's founding in the early 1950s until the couple's move to Dowling Park, Fla. In addition to her volunteer activity at church, Mrs. Schenck was actively involved as a troop leader with Girl Scouts, as a reading mentor at Sealey Elementary School and for over 15 years as an active volunteer with the Leon High School Band program. Mrs. Schenck was preceded in death in 2004 by her husband of 64 years, Curran Jolly Schenck, a longtime employee of the Florida Department of Transportation who retired in 1979 as deputy secretary of the agency. She was also preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Julius Siler of Summerville, S.C. Survivors are a daughter, Dorothy Johnson (Emory), and a son, Skip Schenck (Laverne), both of Tallahassee; a son, Jim Schenck (Jan) of Dowling Park; a son, Grady Schenck (Marion) of Walden, N.Y.; a sister, Jane White, of Asheville, N.C.; grandchildren, Amy Schenck of Tallahassee, Fla., Melissa Johnson of Jacksonville, Fla., Ivey Johnson Hall (Travis), of Macon, Ga., Curran Schenck and fiancée Kristin Almond of Dowling Park, Christine Schenck of Walden and Lea Schenck and fiancé Wil Posey of Dowling Park; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. In addition to immediate family Mrs. Schenck is survived by her sister-in-law, Belle Siler of Summerville, S.C., and Mr. Schenck's brothers-in-law, Roland Freeman of Jacksonville and Jack Moore of Gainesville. She will always be remembered for her passion of volunteering with children, helping others to achieve their greatest level of potential, and the love for one more adventure with her family. The door to her heart was and remains always open. The family wishes to thank the supporting staff of Advent Christian Village for the years of loving care and compassion. Visitation with the family will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. EDT today, July 22, at Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-5668, www.bevisfh.com ), 2710 N. Monroe St., Tallahassee. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Mrs. Schenck will be at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 23, at Bixler Memorial Chapel, Dowling Park, with interment at the Johnson Family Cemetery, Climax, Ga. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Girl Scout Council of Apalachee Bend, 250 Pinewood Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32303; the Advent Christian Village, Village Benevolent Fund, P.O. Box 4305, Dowling Park, FL 32064; or a charity of your choice.