Dorothy Dobbins

Dorothy W. (Rawson) Dobbins died July 24, 2023, in her home at Norwich Springs Heath Campus, Hilliard OH. She was born March 17, 1926, to John and Clara (Palmer) Rawson in Buffalo, NY. She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband Robert M. Dobbins, her sister Marion (Rawson) and brother-in-law Norman Newhouse, her sons, Robert M. Dobbins Jr. and James Phillip Dobbins, her Great Grandson, Joseph Garcia, and aunts, uncles, cousins, as well as longtime friends.

Dorothy was survived by son Charles John Dobbins, Daughters-in-law, Lyn Dee Dobbins and Debora Grimes Dobbins, Grandchildren, James Dobbins Jr, Robin (Stephen) Williamson, Robert Dobbins III, Kathryn (Theodore) Shaw, Nicole Dobbins (Steven Carroll), Jonathan (Jennifer) Dobbins, Great Grandchildren Cayme (Jacob), Bruce, Matthew, Isabelle, Madelyn, Jackson, and Jace, her Great-Great Grandchildren Valerie, Lily, Harvey, and Charlie, Nieces Nancy (David) Sololik, Barbara Newhouse, Mary (Jeffrey) Halpainey, Nephews, Richard (Lydia) Marien, and Douglas (Marcia) Marien.

Dorothy graduated from South Park High School in 1943. She graduated from Buffalo State in 1947 with her Bachelor’s and her Masters Degree in 1971. She taught Home Economics in Cato, NY 1947-1948 and attended Syracuse University. She and Robert were married in December of 1947 and in the summer of 1948 drove to California where they resided for one year before returning to live in DePew, NY. Dorothy then taught adult education classes and went back to full time teaching Home Economics at Brocton Central School for 10 years starting in 1966.

In 1965, she and her husband opened Arkwright Hills Campsites on Rt. 83, Fredonia, NY. They ran the camp until 1972 when it was sold to David Schultz. Dorothy then worked as a seasonal employee at Fredonia Seed while taking care of her mother at Bear Lake, Stockton, NY after her father died. She moved to Bear Lake and lived there permanently from June of 1983 until January 2021 when she could no longer live alone and moved in with her Daughter-in-law Lyn Dee.

Dorothy was a highly educated woman in a time and place where that was not the norm, but she was the second generation of women in her family to have a higher education. Dorothy was raised by Clara, who had earned a teaching certificate in June of 1919 and with a sister who went to college to be a nurse. She valued being outdoors, having an education, and getting to experience new places and things. After raising her children and her husband passed away, she and a lifelong friend (Lois) started to travel the world and some of the locations she was able to go was Finland, the USSR, England, and Singapore. What may be a surprise to many people, Dorothy bought a small motorcycle in the late 1970’s and rode with her sister and brother-in-law throughout the area. She also took up pistol shooting with them at a range and their last adventure was on Post Time, a houseboat on Chautauqua Lake. She was incredibly proud of all the places she was able to see and the life she was able to live. There were three items that hung in her room until the end of her life, a world map with pins of all the places she visited, her mother’s teaching certificate, and a drawing of the love of her life, Robert, who passed away after only 25 years of marriage. 

Besides Robert, her second love was Bear Lake in Stockton, NY. She visited Bear Lake from an infant until she was forced to move away a few months shy of her 95 birthday. Before her father built the cabin, she would stay in a dresser drawer in a tent on the land that is still owned and visited by the family. Towards the end of her life nothing brought her more joy than when family and friends wanted to visit the Lake, because she wanted to share her love of the land and water with them. Most people would see a woman who was stubbornly independent and at times grumpy, but this was how she presented herself to the world. If anyone shared her interests or were her family, she loved them fiercely and was proud to have the family that she did. She would keep clippings of the adventures of the generations that came after and would be happy to know the people she impacted, especially those that love and care for the lake. Dorothy was not able to make it back to Bear Lake before she passed away but lived independently and was very proudly still driving until she was nearly 95 years old.

This summer Dorothy’s family and friends are gathering at Bear Lake to visit, share memories, and enjoy the lake in general, which would thrill her to know. July 26 and July 27 the family will be celebrating the lives of Dorothy W. Dobbins (1926 to 2023), Robert Dobbins Jr., (1949 to 2020) and James Dobbins Sr. (1953 to 2021) at 8086 Bear Lake Road, Stockton, NY 14784. Visitors are welcome to come and share stories of the lake, and their family members during visiting hours of 1 pm until 3pm on Saturday, July 27, 2024. If you are unable to stop by but would like to send a remembrance, please send it to Lyn Dee Dobbins c/o Roberta Belote PO Box 146 Stockton, NY 14784.