Pauline Dobrott Crowley

Virginia Beach - Pauline Marie Dobrott Crowley, the second daughter of five children born to Nell and John Dobrott on July 26, 1930 in Venice, CA, died on Christmas 2017 at Kings Grant House Assisted Living Facility where she was a resident since 2011. Pauline grew up in Wichita, KS where she graduated from Wichita State University with a BA in Spanish, French and English. After graduation, she taught two years in Springhill Kansas High School.

She always loved traveling that began with a two-month trip to Europe in 1950 on the Queen Elizabeth I. She was at the point of accepting a commission in the Air Force, when the love of her life entered. John Crowley just began working at Boeing Wichita. Pauline declined her commission to marry John on her birthday and began to address the vicissitudes of a life together with many moves and travels.

Their first child, Karen was born in Wichita and shortly after the family moved to Santa Monica, CA for John’s training with SDC, a non-profit subsidiary of the Rand Corp. After training the new family moved to Kansas City, MO where Dan their first son was born. A subsequent assignment took them to Phoenix, Arizona for five years where Pat, their second son was born and finally a move back to Santa Monica.

In 1971, the family moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was there that Pauline developed her own authenticity in learning, hospitality, writing, entertainment, and church ministry in addition to substitute teaching in several Junior and Senior High Schools. She enrolled in classes in French Cooking, Creative Writing, Human Sexuality, Russian and German. She was active in the Larkspur Garden Club, serving as the treasurer for many years. The family sponsored exchange students from Germany, Denmark, the Ukraine and Brazil who attended local high schools. Those contacts led to traveling Europe with several Campus Abroad programs of Wichita State University, Tulane University and Chrysler Museum that included 14 countries and lastly England when her daughter married a Brit and settled in Royal Tunbridge Wells, England.

Pauline’s legacy is contained in 700 plus pages of writings from Remembrances of her life written by decade, Poetry from the Albright Poets, Essays from her Salon Writing Group, and letters to the editors of Time Magazine, the Virginian Pilot, and Catholic Virginian. Pauline’s daughter Karen complied, edited and published a portion of her manuscripts into three recently published books.

Pauline is predeceased by her mother and father, Nell and John Dobrott, a younger sister Ruth Burjarski and brother, Dr. Robert Dobrott. She is survived by her loving husband, John Crowley of 59 years; a daughter, Karen and her husband Eugene Gardner of England; a son, Daniel J. Crowley and wife Susie Nelson-Crowley of Tampa, FL; a son, Patrick J. Crowley and wife Sharon of Dayton, VA; a granddaughter, Elizabeth Ratliff and husband Tim with great-grandchildren Wren and Fletcher of Mt. Solon, VA; a sister, Jean Hurley and husband Edward of Virginia Beach, VA; a brother, Joseph Dobrott and wife Lyse of Portsmouth, RI; and many nephews and nieces across the country.

Pauline departs on her last trip to a new dimension and physicality in God’s Everlasting Presence. Adieu, Moir Pauline!

A memorial mass will be held at 10:00 a.m., January 20, 2018 at Church of the Ascension Catholic Church, 4853 Princess Anne Rd., Virginia Beach, VA with inurnment to follow at the church. You may offer condolences to the family at www.smithandwilliamskempsville.com.

The family would like to thank the caregivers and staff of Kings Grant House as well as the Hospice for their loving support provided during the last six years.