Born May 7, 1930, to Richard and Ethel Lott in New Haven, CT, Dorothy grew up in Germany after the family moved to Achern in the Black Forest. The childhood of Dorothy and her siblings was forever marred by the early death of their father, leaving their American-born mother to raise four children on her own in Germany during the treacherous years of World War II.
The family moved back to the United States in 1947, and Dorothy adapted quickly to her new life in Elizabeth, NJ. In 1952, she graduated from Douglass College, in New Brunswick, NJ, with dreams of pursuing a career in medicine. In 1953, she married her Rutgers sweetheart, Bernard Gerald Levine, and began helping him achieve his dream of becoming a veterinarian.
Dorothy and Bernard opened one of Ocean County’s first animal hospitals in 1956, Toms River Veterinary Hospital, treating both farm animals and pets. Dorothy’s true love was her family, and she devoted herself to raising the couple’s three children, and maintaining their impeccable home. She was an excellent cook, seamstress, and party hostess, who is remembered for her intellect, beauty, and elegance.
Above all, Dorothy adored her three granddaughters, teaching them about conservation, composting, baking, and sewing, while guiding them in becoming independent and educated women. She was an expert Master Gardener who lectured extensively, often using slides from her own yard. She was known throughout her neighborhood for her gorgeous perpetual garden featuring thousands of stunning perennials and many blooming shrubs. She happily shared juicy tomatoes and huge zucchini from her bountiful vegetable patch every summer.
Dorothy was an avid supporter of the Garden State Philharmonic, where Bernard played violin for some 30 years. The couple loved playing bridge and tennis, and sailing on Barnegat Bay. They also went scuba diving, photographing colorful marine life on vacations to Exuma, their favorite island in the Bahamas.
After her longtime marriage ended in divorce, she and her partner, David Schwartz, enjoyed frequent trips to New York City and traveled the world: cruising the Nile in Egypt, bicycling around Holland, and exploring Vietnam and China. Dorothy worked as showroom manager at Good Friend Electric. An advocate for the less fortunate, Dorothy wrote countless letters for Amnesty International, tutored inmates in reading skills, and donated to many worthwhile causes.
Dorothy is survived by her three children, Diana Madaras and her fiancé Dr. Phil Mooberry of Tucson, AZ; Dr. Richard Levine and his wife Catherine Drake, of Stowe, VT; and Sandra Levine and her husband Michael Fairhurst of Toms River; her three granddaughters, Julia Rogers (and Tom), of Stowe, VT, Bridget Phillips (and Matt), of Montpelier, VT, and Caroline Fairhurst of Toms River; and her great-granddaughters Nora and Claire Rogers, of Stowe, VT. She is also survived by nieces and nephews and other beloved family.
She is predeceased by her brothers, Warren and John Lott, and her sister, Carol Solomon.
The family would like to thank the staff of Affordable Senior Home Care and Brandywine Living at Toms River for their tremendous care and compassion during the latter years of Dorothy’s life. Donations in Dorothy’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
A celebration of Dorothy’s life will be held Sunday, October 2, 10 a.m., at the Toms River Country Club. Please email attendance to [email protected].
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