Born 12/13/1927
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Died 6/1/2023
Meriden, Connecticut
Details of services
Viewing hours are from 5 PM to 7:30 PM at Lesko & Polke Funeral Home in Fairfield, CT. on June 9th. Her funeral will take place on Saturday, June 10th, commencing at 10:30 AM at Assumption Church in Westport, CT. A memorial service will take place in South Burlington, VT. later this month but is yet to be scheduled.
Dorothy “Dot” Myer enjoyed childhood years with her family on a homestead in what was at the time a winding dirt road on Greenfield Hill in Fairfield, Connecticut. She was the first to arrive of five siblings who grew up in spartan depression era surroundings with forests and fields close at hand for explorations and observations of nature. She especially marveled at birds, butterflies, trees and flowers, choosing to spend high percentages of her time in the great outdoors.
Young Dorothy studied attentively and excelled at school from her earliest years at Timothy Dwight Elementary and Roger Ludlowe High School. She remained at home until her mid-twenties, before enrolling at the University of Vermont. At that time college educations were much less common for women than today. Working her way through the University, Dot was always cautious with the use of resources, financial or otherwise. She never owned an automobile, choosing to ride her bicycle as her primary choice of transportation until past the age of 90. She also made frequent use of public transportation; far ahead of her time in regarding fossil fuels to be dirty and best avoided whenever possible.
While enrolled at UVM, Dorothy soon became deeply involved in the university’s Outing Club, and developed a lifelong fascination with mountaineering. She went on to systematically summit all known 4000 plus foot peaks in Vermont, New York, New Hampshire and Maine in both winter and summer. She was the first woman to do so.
Dot worked throughout her professional career as a Research Associate at Fletcher Allen Health Care, making use of her strong organizational and data recording skills. She lived at her home on Patrick Steet in South Burlington for nearly 60 years.
Visiting her sister Mary Coleman in Connecticut during February 2022 Dot contacted stomach virus and became hospitalized. She was never to return to Vermont, moving to assisted living for her final sixteen months where she delighted family and staff with her peaceful manner, inimitable smile and gentle humor.
Dorothy travelled widely during her time on Earth, making friends and interacting with people of many nations, always seeking to be helpful and to learn as she went; passing her discoveries along to others.
Viewing hours are from 5 PM to 7:30 PM at Lesko & Polke Funeral Home in Fairfield, CT. on June 9th. Her funeral will take place on Saturday, June 10th, commencing at 10:30 AM at Assumption Church in Westport, CT. A memorial service will take place in South Burlington, VT. later this month but is yet to be scheduled. Friends and any who wish to honor and say good byes to Dorothy are encouraged to join her family this weekend.
For a full obituary, please visit the Lesko & Polke Funeral Home website, www.LeskoPolkeFuneralHome.com. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Green Mountain Club: Burlington Chapter, Save the Children, or to the University of Vermont and Agricultural College.