Dorothy May Hall

Dorothy May Jones Hall was born November 15, 1917 in Hall’s Maryland on which is near where she lived in Upper Marlboro until her death. She was the fourth of five children and second daughter of Henry Jones and Eva Arnold Jones. Her parternal grandfather was a judge of the Orphans Court for Prince George’s County and owned a large tobacco farm – land which Dorothy would one day inherit along with her siblings. Dorothy was a former member of the Daughter’s of the American Revolution and could trace her parental ancestry back to the landing of the Ark and the Dove in Maryland.

Dorothy’s maternal grandfather owned a three hundred tobacco farm on Church Road in Mitchellville, Maryland. There, Dorothy spent summer days with her grandfather, step-grandmother and cousins. She recalled sitting on her grandfather’s lap singing songs and telling him jokes.

Dorothy met Norris Hall when she was seventeen. They married several years later and were together for 50 years. They had one son, Norris, Jr., and one daughter, Doris. Dorothy and Norris bought their first home in Maryland Park and moved in one day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They paid $6,000 for their first home and lived there for twenty-five years. Norris owned and operated a gas station nearby. They then moved to Waterford in District Heights, Maryland where they lived for nine years. When Dorothy inherited fourteen acres of land from her paternal grandfather, Dorothy and Norris built their present home on seven acres and gave each of the children acreage on which to build their own homes. Dorothy loved wallpapering her new home and adding her own distinctive touches of decorating. She had a passion for landscaping the new place with dogwoods which she and Norris transplanted from the woods nearby. She nurtured nearly 200 dogwoods at one time – starting some of them from seedlings.

Dorothy held various jobs. When she was first married, she modeled Butterick Patterns at Palis Royal (later Woodies’ North Building) in downtown DC. After her children started school, Dorothy took a part-time sales position at Woodward and Lothrop. After working several years, she was selected to work for a prestigious cosmetic firm, Charles of the Ritz, located in Woodies. Charles of the Ritz sent her to their school in Connecticut where she learned skin types, facial treatments, and blending custom face power. Her customers included wives of many Washington dignities. Dorothy was even selected to be featured in a Charles of the Ritz advertisement in the Washington Star. She worked for Woodies for twenty years.

Dorothy was ever present at Doris’ dance lesson, school functions, and plays. She even fashioned dance recital costumes and helped with makeup application. Dorothy volunteered as a room mother and PTA secretary. Doris’ classmates all knew pretty Mrs. Hall who even volunteered herself as a model for the Future Nurses of America hat sale. Dorothy loved being with Doris’ friends and became one of the girls. As one friend put it, Mrs. Hall was fun to be around.

Dorothy is survived by her daughter Doris (Clarence) Smith, and son Norris, Jr. (Maxine – deceased); grandsons, Craig Smith and Buddy, Bobby, and Chris Hall; and great-grandchildren Kyle, Ryan, Zachary, and Allison Smith; Kristen, Danielle, Joshua, Shannon, “C.J.”, Casey, Robbie and Rory Hall. She is also leaves one sister-in-law Jean Hopkins Jones – wife of Millard Jones (deceased)

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Norris (1984) brothers Harry, Millard, and Johnny, and her sister, Evelyn J. Sears.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to either Hospice of the Chesapeake http://www.hospicechesapeake.org (9500 Arena Drive, Suite 250, Largo, MD 20774) or SPCA/Humane Society of Prince George's County http://www.pgspca.org ( SPCA/HS of Prince George’s County PO Box 925 Bowie, MD 20718)

Arrangements under the direction of Robert E. Evans Funeral Home, Bowie, MD.