Mattituck native Dorothy Dickerson Peters died July 26, 2014. She was 70 years old.
Born and raised in Mattituck, she moved frequently in the early years with her husband throughout New Jersey, New York, and New England before settling in to raise her family primarily in the upstate N.Y. Finger Lakes region town of Cortland, where she maintained many friends and fans. She retired with her husband to Bolivia, N.C..
Growing up on the North Fork with parents who had a love of the beach and boating, Dottie, as she was known to friends and family, was never land-locked for long. Whether seeking out time on her native Long Island shores, planning trips to Florida and other beaches with her family, visiting with friends in the Finger Lakes, or, later, encouraging her husband and daughter to plan Caribbean and European holidays, her enthusiasm for sun, sand, and water, sometimes accompanied by a nice chardonnay, was infectious and undeniable, her family said.
Outgoing by nature, Dottie enhanced her social graces and developed lifelong friendships as a member of the Alpha Sigma Beta sorority while earning her bachelor’s degree in education at the State University of New York at Oneonta. A natural educator, she was a professional teacher of both elementary children and, later, struggling college students, having also earned her Master’s degree and certification as a reading specialist at the State University of New York at Cortland.
She was always a kind, giving and supportive wife, mother, grandmother, friend and teacher, who left us with a legacy of love, tolerance, and fun, her family said in a statement.
Dottie is survived by her husband, Dr. Lee Peters Sr., her son, Lee Peters II (Shannon Dintino), her daughter, Jill Peters (Ted Russell), and three grandchildren, Gavin Peters, Bryson Russell, and Avery Russell. As is her wish, Funeral services will be held on Friday, August 1, in Mattituck, Long Island, New York, at the Defriest-Grattan Funeral Home located at 13805 Main Road (Rt. 25), with calling hours from 12 noon to 2 p.m. Service from 2to 2:30 p.m., and graveside ceremony at 3 p.m.. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Lower Cape Fear Hospice & Life Care Center, or the cancer charity of your preference.
