Dorothy Dwyer

It is with great sadness that the family of Dorothy “Dottie” Dwyer announces her passing at the age of 96. Dorothy was the devoted mother of seven children, Michael Dwyer (Jaye Woodstock), Mark Dwyer (Geri Dwyer), Susan Belisle (Chuck Belisle), Steven Dwyer (Kathy Mongon), Andrew Dwyer (Denise Dwyer), Martha Weber (Carl Weber), and Kevin Dwyer (Katie Dwyer);  grandmother of ten, and great grandmother of two. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dorothy and her husband, Robert Dwyer, moved to Norwell in 1957.

Dorothy was an exceptionally talented and creative person. She was an accomplished seamstress who parlayed her talent into a home-based business that she named Sewing Machine Magic. She also decorated cakes, knitted and crocheted, did fine art paper quilling, and crafted beautiful, award-winning quilts. 

A dedicated volunteer, she was instrumental in raising funds in the early years of the Norwell Visiting Nurse Association. She also served as president of the Norwell Women’s Club, she taught paper crafting to residents at the Dwyer Home in Weymouth, and she was the president of the Friends of the Council on Aging, where she enjoyed a very active social life. 

After she raised her seven children, she went back to work as a salesperson at George Washington Toma, where she was proudly crowned “the Refrigerator Queen.” In her retirement, she became fondly known as “the cookie lady,” baking trays of treats every Christmas for the Toma staff.

Dorothy and Robert built their dream home on Cushing Hill Road, and she remained in that home until February of 2024, when she moved to Allerton House in Hingham. At Allerton House, she found a warm and welcoming community who energized her final months. She made many good friends throughout her life and was surrounded by people who loved her and will cherish their memories of her.

Donations in her memory can be made to the Dwyer Home in Weymouth (www.riceeventide.org/give), the Friends of the Council on Aging (www.townofnorwell.net/council-aging/pages/friends-norwell-coa), or the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (www.cff.org).

Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, December 10th from 4:00PM-7:00PM at Sullivan Funeral Home in Hanover - 551 Washington St., Rt. 53. A funeral mass will take place on Wednesday, December 11th at 11:30AM at Resurrection Parish in Hingham - 1057 Main St. Burial will immediately follow at Washington Street Cemetery in Norwell.