1932 - 2015
COOPERSTOWN - Patricia Butler Dornburgh, a Native Daughter of Cooperstown, passed away Wednesday, January 28, 2015, at Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island's Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
Born on August 21, 1932, she was the daughter of Harold and Patricia (Bracelyn) Butler, who predeceased her in 1967 and 1989 respectively.
A 1949 summa cum laude graduate of Cooperstown Central School, she went on to earn a B.A. in French, in 1953, from Albany State College (now University at Albany) where she was president of Beta Zeta sorority. She also earned a masters degree in library science from Caldwell College in New Jersey.
After college, she taught English and social studies in Carmel, NY for one year. In June 1954, she married William Dornburgh at St. Mary's "Our Lady of the Lake" Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown. They raised their five children in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, where she was a high school librarian for nineteen years, combining her love of students and of books. Patricia loved words and she loved the English language.
Retaining her love for Cooperstown, in 1973 Patricia and Bill purchased property in Middlefield where they built a vacation retreat, which they expanded to their retirement home in 1995. Ten years later, they moved into the Village of Cooperstown. Patricia volunteered at the Cooperstown Food Bank and was a Eucharistic Minister at Bassett Hospital, where she also performed other volunteer services. For twelve years Patricia and Bill spent their winters in Pinehurst, North Carolina. In 2014, they moved to Greenville, Rhode Island to be closer to their children.
Patricia is survived by her husband Bill; her five children, daughter Kathleen Stuart and her husband, Tom, son Leigh and his wife, Paula, daughter Ann Davis and her husband, Kevin, daughter Barbara Santurri and her husband, John, and son Edmund and his wife, Elizabeth. She is also survived by her eight grandchildren, and one great grandson. She had a great love of family and was devoted to them all.
Friends may call and pay their respects to the Dornburgh family from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, February 7, 2015, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown. A Vigil Remembrance to celebrate Patricia's life by Fr. John P. Rosson, her parish priest, will be offered at 3 p.m. at the funeral home.
The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be offered later this Spring at St. Mary's "Our Lady of the Lake" Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown, with Fr. John P. Rosson, pastor, presiding.
The Service of Committal and Burial will follow in Lakewood Cemetery, Cooperstown, where Patricia will be laid to rest in the Dornburgh Plot.
As an alternative to flowers, the Dornburgh family respectfully requests that memorial gifts in memory of Patricia be directed to the Alzheimer's Association Northeastern New York, 4 Pine West Plaza, Suite 405, Albany, NY 12205-5515.
Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers at (607) 547-8822, or A Rose is a Rose at (607) 264-3100.
