Dorothy A. Ewing

Born on April 28, 1930, Dot was the daughter of Springfield, IL area architect, Carl T. Meyer, Sr. and his wife, Antoinette Peters Meyer. Her two brothers, Carl Meyer, Jr. and Franklin Meyer, were both pilots in World War II. As a child, Dot grew up living in homes her father designed throughout Springfield. After graduating from Springfield High School and Springfield Junior College, her own passion for design led her to attend the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, majoring in fashion illustration.

During her time in Chicago, she met fellow art student, Jordan B. Ewing, and the two bonded over, among many things, a shared love of arts, music, and ice cream. They were married on Thanksgiving, November 27, 1952, in Springfield. They moved to Jordan’s hometown of Flemington, NJ, and had 4 children there, before relocating to Springfield and having one more child.

Dot spent time working in advertising, creating hand-drawn advertisements in the Springfield Journal Register for the S.A. Barker Co., but devoted much of her time being a stay-at-home mother, a job in which she took immense lifelong fulfillment and pride.

As her children grew to adulthood, she worked at Famous Barr and became manager of the Fine Jewelry Department. She continued to seek out life’s joys, her presence welcomed and happiness infectious at the many social clubs and groups in which she participated over the years, from singing with the Sweet Adelines, to joining the Margarita Girls, to volunteering at the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum, to regularly attending nights at Prairie Land Dance Club in Illiopolis, where they say “she was and is a legend”. She loved music, gardening, sewing, and decorating.

She is survived by her five children, Craig (Laura) Ewing, Alaine Ewing, Lorraine (Jim) Best, and Lisa (Larry) Riley, all of Springfield, and Linda (Pete) Wayne of Decatur; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Dot is deeply missed by all who knew her.

Dot said her greatest accomplishment was her “50-year marriage to a loving husband and father of 5 fantastic kids”.

She touched so many lives in her long and well lived life. When people told her she was lucky she would always respond, “No, I am blessed”.

Visitation and Mass of Christian Burial: Family will receive friends on Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 1725 S. Walnut St., Springfield, with Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11:00 a.m.

Burial will follow at Camp Butler National Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The family is being served by Butler Funeral Home- Springfield, 900 S. 6th St., Springfield.