Dorothy (Epstein) Carver

Dorothy Carver, 89, of Barnstable, MA, formerly of Newton, passed away on February 8, 2023. Dorothy was predeceased by Herb Carver, her beloved husband of 61 years, and her parents, Ethel & Rubin Epstein. For Dorothy, family was at the center of her life. She leaves behind her children, Ilene of Dorchester, John of Quincy, and Alan, and his wife, Fredi, of New York City, her sister, Margie Drucker of Newton, and her deeply loved grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and other family members, each of whom treasured Dorothy’s remarkable presence in their lives. For many family members and close friends, Dorothy was a gentle matriarch, who provided inspiration, counsel and solace.

Dorothy will perhaps be most remembered by family for her extraordinary attention and connection with the youngest family members, and young children in general, who she embraced with incomparable loving care.

Dorothy graduated from Wheaton College in 1954, and remained an active supporter of her alma mater for decades thereafter. She served as a counsel to the President of the college and she particularly enjoyed her role as mentor to many college students over the years.

Dorothy devoted much of her life to serving children with special needs, and preparing young adults to become early childhood special needs teachers. Dorothy worked as an early childhood preschool teacher, and for 7 years she was the Special Education Coordinator for Head Start across Cape Cod. In her later years, she was a founding member and teacher in the Early Childhood Special Needs program at Cape Cod Community College. Dorothy was passionate about inclusion and believed that children, with and without disabilities, had the right to be educated and live their lives, side by side, with the necessary resources and support.

In 1986, Dorothy and Herb moved to Barnstable, MA. Dorothy became active in the Cape Cod branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. She actively campaigned for peace and civil rights issues, attending rallies, walking picket lines, and handing out flyers on a wide range of issues. Dorothy also participated in the Global Volunteers Program, where she would travel with friends and grandchildren.

Into her 80’s, Dorothy eagerly volunteered to work with young children in many capacities. She read books weekly during the Story Hour for the youngest children at the Sturgis Library in Barnstable. She also cherished her weekly trips to the Young Achievers School of Science and Mathematics in Mattapan, where she volunteered in early childhood classrooms.

The family feels enormous gratitude to the hospice nurses from the Visiting Nurses Association of Cape Cod, to the aides who provided superb care for Dorothy in her final weeks, and to Deborah Umbrello, a long-time family friend and companion, who has supported Dorothy and the family over many years in a wide variety of ways.

Funeral service will be held at Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward St., Newton on Monday, February 13th at 10:30 am, and will also be streamed online through the Temple Emanuel website. Internment will immediately follow the services at the Kovner Cemetery, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury.

Family and friends are invited to come back to the home of Dorothy’s daughter between 2:00 and 5:00pm. The family will also sit on Tuesday, February 14th, from 2:00 until 7:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to the Jinny Chalmers Fund for Education Justice at www.jinnychalmers.org