Dorothy Northcutt

December 25, 1928 to April 11, 2025

Dorothy “Dot” Northcutt was a coal miner’s daughter. She was the family Christmas present of 1928, born to Nicholas and Lillian (Guy) Gaylets of Avoca, PA. Dot was a determined woman that overcame many obstacles throughout life. Her father died when she was 12. Her oldest sister Mary dropped out of school to help support the family. Following graduation (1946) from Duryea High School, Dot worked locally until the age of 21, when she relocated to the Washington, DC area to work for the Department of the Navy.

In 1957, she married Mauris Mackenzie and had a son, also named Mauris. The family later moved to Houston, TX, where her marriage ended in divorce. Thereafter, Dot met and married Walter T. Northcutt, a proud Texan and US Navy veteran, who became the only father Mauris really knew. About 1962, Walter, Dot and Mauris packed everything they owned in the car and moved back to the DC area, landing in Arlington, VA. It was a hard trip with the family camping on the shoulder of the road at night and Walter working on the car for much of the night to keep it going for the next day’s trip. Upon arrival in Arlington, they lived in the car until they could find work and get an apartment. After settling down, Dot’s sisters from Pennsylvania and New York came to visit; they had to bring their own plates, cups and utensils as Dot only had enough for the immediate family. Dot went to work for the US Patent & Trademark Office, first in Washington, then moving to Crystal City in Arlington.

Through hard work, determination, and Dot’s ability to manage the family budget, she realized many achievements. By 1975, they owned a home in Springfield. She saw her son, the first generation in her family, graduate from college. Walter died in 1985 after battling throat and lung cancer. Dot worked tirelessly caring for him in his final years while holding down a full-time job. In 1986 Dot retired from the USPTO and went to work for Fairfax County, initially with the Alcohol Safety Action Program then with the Circuit Court, where she ultimately retired. Dot continued to live in Springfield until 2010 when she moved to Charlottesville to be closer to her son and his family. Dot loved her family dearly, especially her grandsons, and would regularly attend their sporting and school activities, as well as care for them any opportunity she had. Dot continued to live on her own until 2020, when she moved in with Mauris and his family.

Besides caring for her family, Dot’s favorite activities included working in her yard, keeping her house immaculate, rearranging the furniture, and driving. Even after moving in with her son, Dot frequently stated she needed to go back to her house to cut grass, pull weeds and clean. She loved dogs, especially German Shepherds, but was not particularly fond of cats; her two most notable dogs were Samantha and Schamp. Late in life, she also discovered a fondness for baby goats.

In addition to Walter, Dot was predeceased by her parents, her sisters Mary Ananka, Margaret (Peggy) Schmidt, Claire Swiderski, Helen Mills, and Jeanne Rosov, her brothers James and

Robert Gaylets, and her granddaughter Meghan Mackenzie. She is survived by her son Mauris and his wife Zenovia, her grandsons Zachary and William, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A special thanks are expressed to those that did so much to care for and help Dot enjoy and experience the most of life as she progressed through her final years, including her daughter-in-law Zen and her special friend Melissa.

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