Dorothy Ellen McDermott

Dorothy Ellen McDermott, beloved wife of William H. McDermott, and mother of Ronald J. McDermott and Sharon L. McDermott, passed away at her residence in Falls Church, VA, on Saturday, October 12, 2019, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

Dorothy was born on July 15, 1941, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Charles J. and Dorothy R. Jacoby. On July 3, 1965, Dorothy married William Hanlon McDermott (Bill). They subsequently moved to Maryland and eventually settled in Hyattsville, Maryland, where they lived for over 30 years.

Dorothy began working in 1976 at Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, as a secretary and accountant. She would eventually rise to the position of Manager of Business Operations for VSL before her retirement in 1999. She cherished her 23 years at VSL, especially the many personal relationships with her colleagues that she was able to establish over the years.

After her retirement, Bill and Dorothy relocated to Timber Pines in Spring Hill, Florida, where they reconnected with a few old friends from Hyattsville as well as making many new friends. After Bill’s passing in 2001, Dorothy remained in Florida for several years before moving back to the DC area in 2008 to be closer to family.

Dorothy was a big fan of the music of John Denver and Josh Grobin as well as an avid fan of vampire themed television shows including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and the Vampire Diaries. She also enjoyed playing and teaching Mah Jong.

Dorothy is survived by her son Ronald McDermott (wife Kimberly) of Washington, DC, her daughter Sharon McDermott of Arlington, VA, her sister Janice Repko (husband George) of Wyomissing, PA, her brother David Jacoby (wife Kathy) of Johnstown, PA, as well as a number of nieces and nephews.

A visitation and memorial will be held from 2 pm to 4 pm and 6 pm to 8 pm on Friday, December 6 at Murphy Funeral Home, 1102 W Broad St, Falls Church, VA. A funeral mass will be held at Catholic University’s St. Vincent de Paul Chapel located at 3502 John McCormack Rd NE, Washington, DC on Saturday, December 7 at 11 am, with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Dorothy’s honor to the Parkinson’s Foundation. https://secure3.convio.net/prkorg/site/SPageNavigator/2017_donate_form_2.html