On February 13, 2019, Dorothy White Dunivin, lifelong Virginia resident, died in the presence of her family. Dorothy was born on April 29, 1929 in Occoquan, Virginia, to Nell McMahan and DeWitt Talmadge White. She grew up in Fairfax County, Virginia with her parents and older sister, Lina.
After graduating from Mount Vernon High School where she was awarded an Honor Scholarship as Valedictorian and the “Ambition Yardstick of Success”, Dot attended Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia. Her many academic and social activities at Mary Washington College included membership in Alpha Phi Sigma, National Honorary Fraternity, Matthew Fontaine Maury Science Club, Senior Class representative to the Annual Beauty Contest and a member of the college May Court for two years. She majored in Biology and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She then assumed the responsibility of teaching fourth grade in the local elementary school.
Dorothy married her childhood sweetheart, Joseph Miller Dunivin, on November 5, 1951, in New York City, on the Bride and Groom television program. Students in the school where she taught were released from classes in order to watch the wedding of their beloved teacher. A local paper reported that “(t)he bride televised beautifully and her poise could well be envied by professionals. Lorton was justly proud of its representatives and rejoice with the young couple in their (Jack-Pot) of lovely gifts.”
Dot and Joe raised their six children in Northern Virginia and retired to Fairview Beach, Virginia. Primarily a homemaker, Dot was actively involved in the United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday School for thirty years and served in the United Methodist Women. Dot had a talent and passion for flower arranging and was a member of garden clubs throughout her life. Known to her garden club friends as “Dottie”, she earned many awards for her beautiful floral arrangements, and donated many hours to arrange flowers and decorate churches and historic mansions in the communities in which they lived. By the mid-1980s she had earned certification as a Master Judge of Flower Shows in the National Council of State Garden Clubs. Decades later she was honored with the ultimate distinction of Master Judge Emeritus “in appreciation and gratitude for the time and effort spent serving National Garden Clubs and the NCG Flower Show Schools Program”. She was equally proud of her memberships in the Daughters of the American Revolution and Eastern Star.
Shortly after Dot and Joe married, they began what was to become a lifelong love of traveling – driving with their children to every one of the contiguous 48 U.S. states, most of the Canadian provinces and made several trips to visit Lina’s family in Alaska, usually towing a travel trailer or riding in one of their RVs. Dot and Joe also traveled to many other countries throughout the world, circling the globe three times.
Dorothy is survived by her husband of 67 years, six children, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Services will be held on Thursday March 21st – 10:00 am at Fletcher’s Chapel United Methodist Church, 8330 Fletcher’s Chapel Road, King George, Virginia 22485; and graveside – 2:00 pm at Pohick Episcopal Church, 9301 Richmond Highway, Lorton, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her memory to Fletcher’s Chapel United Methodist Church.
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