Dorothea Mendinhall McSorley

Dorothea ”Dolly” Mendinhall McSorley died April 23, 2024 in Williamsburg, VA. She was born on September 19, 1924 to Dorothy and Edward Mendinhall in Wilmington, DE. Raised in a legacy of Quakers, she attended Wilmington Friends School and Bradford Jr. College in Haverhill, MA. Known affectionately as Dolly, (a nickname given to her by her older brother) she spent her childhood and teenage summers at Camp Wawenock in Maine where she was a riding and sailing instructor. After college, she coached basketball and field hockey at a private girls’ school in Wilmington. In 1945, Dolly met Samuel L. McSorley. They were married in 1948 and moved to Princeton, NJ, where Sam was attending Princeton University. After graduating, his career took them to Philadelphia, where they started their family. Sam’s job took them to Michigan, Texas and Indiana, but eventually allowed them to return to live in Dolly’s family home on the Eastern Shore of MD, near Chestertown. A devoted couple for 53 years, Sam passed away in 2001 and Dolly moved to Williamsburg Landing retirement home in 2006, where she resided and was lovingly cared for until her death. Always willing to volunteer in community activities, Dolly was a past member of the Wilmington Junior League, Chestertown Garden Club, Kent and Queen Anne Hospital Auxiliary, Episcopal Church Women and Questers. She was a parishioner of Bruton Parish in Williamsburg and St. Paul’s, Kent where she served on altar guild. Spending time at “Damsite”, her home on the Chesapeake, brought her great joy. Entertaining there with Sam and sharing it with family and friends was paramount to her. A Chesapeake Bay Retriever or a yellow Labrador was never far from her side. Gardening, arranging her flowers, watching the ospreys, eagles and songbirds made this her favorite place to be. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Dolly was a licensed bird bander with the Fish and Wildlife Service. In winter, she and Sam would often head south to Sanibel Island, FL, another memorable place close to their hearts. Dolly was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, 1st Lieutenant John M. Mendinhall, II, USMC, who gave his life fighting for our country in 1945. She is survived by her children, Ruth Anne Taylor, Nancy Hoffmann (Peter) and Samuel E. (“Ted”) McSorley (Kim); her eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Interment will take place at St. Pauls, Kent in the fall. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wawenock Camper Scholarship Fund online at https://campwawenock.com/ways-to-support-camp/ or by sending a check to Camp Wawenock at 33 Camp Wawenock Road Raymond, ME 04071. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.NelsenWilliamsburg.com.