Born in West Lafayette, IN, on Valentine’s Day, 1938, she was the third daughter of Dr. Carl S and Ursula L (Purinton) Roys. After graduating from Amherst High School, Dot attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst before changing paths and graduating from the registered nursing program at the Franklin County Public Hospital School of Nursing in 1960. It was during this time she met Thomas, her husband of 62 years, who was attending the University of Massachusetts biology program, along with her brother, Robert. She and Tom married in 1960 and made their home on Cape Cod, where she specialized in emergency room nursing and retired after a distinguished career at Tobey Hospital in Wareham.
Lovingly known to one and all as “Ma”, she was a passionate, voracious reader and brought a wicked sense of humor to life as a gentle reminder that life was precious, but a little irreverence made it even more so. She channeled her knowledge and passion for nursing into a lifetime of selfless caring for others. In her later years, if she wasn’t dropping everything to jump on a plane or taking a lengthy car ride to attend to one extended family member or another, she was just a reassuring phone call away. And, through it all, she was an integral part of the raising of two generations of children and cherished every moment she was able to settle more into the grandmotherly role with her great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas, as well as her parents, sisters Mary Valiton and Eleanor Woodard, and brothers Robert and Charles.
She is survived in life by her brother Arthur, daughter Linda, son Shaun and his wife Cristin, and son Patrick and his partner Natalie. Her loving memory and legacy lives on through her grandchildren and their families, including Heather (Wilson) Brigham and partner Drew Irving, Thomas P Wilson, Dorothy “Beth” (Soule) Keough and husband Michael, Heather Bowden and Thomas J Morrissey. Her time with us enriched the lives of great-grandchildren Sierra, Owen, Delia, Bridgid, Wyatt, Ava, Zoe, and Jack.
Public calling hours will be held on Thursday, March 28th, from 11am - 1pm at the Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home, 154 Route 6A, Sandwich, MA. Interment with her husband will follow at 2pm at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.
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