Dorothy Louise Goochee, 92, a recent resident of Gwynedd Healthcare, Lansdale, PA and formerly of Russ Lane, St. Marys, passed away peacefully Tuesday, December 12, 2017, after a lengthy illness.
Dorothy was born July 30, 1925, in Macon, Georgia, the seventh of nine children to the late Thomas Augustus Gibson and Willie Ada Brown Gibson. Upon graduation from high school in Macon, she joined the US Cadet Nurse Corps in World War II, and later worked as a registered nurse at Macon Hospital.
She met her future husband, Herman F. Goochee, while visiting a friend from her Cadet Nurse Corps days who had moved to Port Allegheny. Herman and Dorothy were married a year later on July 28, 1949.
Dorothy is survived by her son, Dr. Charles Goochee of Ambler, PA; two daughters, Diane Goochee Horn and her husband Donald Horn of Bernardsville, NJ and Janet Goochee Cordingley and her husband Michael Cordingley of Montreal, Quebec; seven grandchildren, David Goochee, Lisa Goochee, Gail Goochee, Ryan Horn, Shannon Horn, Connor Cordingley, and Neil Cordingley; a brother, Charles L. Gibson and his wife Pauline of Macon, GA; and by many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Herman, on November 24, 2004, and by her brothers, Samuel, James, and Thomas; and sisters, Caroline, Theresa, Thelma and Marjory.
Dorothy was very active in community life in St. Marys as a member of the St. Marys Women’s Club, and as a volunteer for the St. Marys Historical Society, the Andrew Kaul Memorial Hospital gift shop, the Girl Scouts of America, and the St. Marys Public Library. As a descendent of veterans of the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars, she enjoyed studying her family genealogy. Dorothy also greatly enjoyed playing cards with her bridge club friends who met each month for over fifty years, and taking many road trips with Herman to follow the Penn State Nittany Lions football games. Reading, politics, antiquing, needlepoint, and flower arranging were other favorite interests.
Perhaps because of hardships shared by many who grew up during the Great Depression, Dorothy always celebrated Christmas with extra zeal and a full table, and delighted in spoiling her family and friends with her well-chosen treasures. She will be greatly missed this Christmas season and always.
Visitation is at the Lynch-Radkowski Funeral Home on Saturday, December 16, 2017, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. A private Funeral Service will be held for the family.
Memorials, if desired, may be made to the Community Nurses, Inc., 757 Johnsonburg Road, Suite 200, St. Marys, PA 15857 or to the St. Marys Area Ambulance Service, 773 Johnsonburg Road, St. Marys, PA 15857.