Dorothy Marie Kearcher

SHARON — Dorothy Marie Kearcher died peacefully on Dec. 27, 2011, at Noble Horizons. She had moved there from Sharon a year and a half ago. She was the widow of Richard Kearcher.She was born May 8, 1927, in Adams, Mass., the daughter of Katherine (Dooley) and George Roy. Dorothy and her husband, Richard, moved to Lakeville, from Packanack Lake, N.J., after purchasing the Woodland Restaurant in the 1950s. They ran The Woodland until the late 1950s, then purchased the Hilltop Restaurant in Millbrook, at which time the family moved to Sharon. Dorothy always embraced the lives of her children and their interests. Summers were spent with them at Mudge Pond, where they swam or paddled in canoes, often ending the day by cooking dinner on the community grills. Recently, she spoke of the wonderful summers spent at Sharon Beach talking with her friends Clair Berk Hintenach, Dolly Paley, Betty Freudenberg, Mary Andersen, and Ann Gudernach, all of whom initiated the swim programs residents still enjoy today.Her love and acceptance of animals made the Kearcher home a revolving menagerie of pets. Dogs of several breeds, cats, goats, chickens, homing pigeons, a trained sheep named Benny who came into the house, and a horse, Bucko, were among the family’s pets.Dorothy, or “Dot” as she was often called, enjoyed traveling and took many trips to California, Cape Cod, the Pacific Northwest and Mexico. She is survived by three children, Robert Kearcher and his wife, Barbara, of Morris, Conn., Thomas Kearcher and his partner, Leticia Martinez Lara, of Guanajuato, Mexico, and Lynn Kearcher and husband, Carl Chaiet, of Sharon; four grandchildren, Timothy Kearcher and his wife, Tracy, of Middletown, Conn., Hilary Kearcher of Oakville, Conn., Max Chaiet of Venice, Calif., and Nora Meier Kearcher of Portland, Ore.; one great-grandchild, Alyssa Kearcher of Middletown; her loving sister, Patricia Tryzinski of Cheshire, Mass., and brother Donald Roy of Liverpool, N.Y,; a beloved sister-in-law, Doris Erickson of West Caldwell, N.J.; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her brother, Henry Roy; and two sisters, Sophie Bentley and Jeanette Corborsiero.A memorial service to celebrate Dorothy’s life will be held at the Noble Horizons Chapel on Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. A private graveside service will be held in May at the Ellsworth Cemetery in Sharon.In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Sharon Youth and Recreation, Beach Fund in Sharon; The Noble Horizons Employee Education Fund in Salisbury; or the Little Guild of Saint Francis in Cornwall.Dorothy’s family would like to express appreciation and gratitude to the Wagner staff at Noble Horizons for their unbelievable compassion and care and the comfort provided to her throughout her stay.The Kenny Funeral Home in Sharon is handling the funeral arrangements.