Dorothea Mae Simmons died peacefully in Lake Prince Woods on Sunday, Aug. 19, a day after her 96th birthday. Born in New York City, she moved frequently with her husband and children before settling in Suffolk, where she enjoyed the warmth and hospitality of a community in which she remained after the early death of her husband in 1976.

A graduate of Girls‘ High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., she went on to complete a degree from Katharine Gibbs School on Park Avenue in Manhattan, established in 1911 as a vocational school for women in business. She was a devoted wife and mother, a consummate hostess, an exceptional seamstress and an inveterate traveler.

Dorothea was the daughter of the late William Charles Cahill and Mae G. Barry, both of New York City, and outlived both her husbands, William David Shaw and Marvin A. Simmons, and a granddaughter, Claire E. Shaw. She is survived by her son, William Tracey Shaw, of Lynchburg, and her daughter, Donna Shaw Rucker, of Virginia Beach. Grandchildren include J. Carter Shaw, of Norfolk; Catherine D. Krna, of Menlo Park, Calif.; Wilder S. Rucker, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Ryan M. Shaw, of Kyle, Texas; Dorothea A. Finger, of Virginia Beach; Alexander T. Shaw, of Richmond; Andrew D. Shaw, of Charlottesville, and D. Elliott Shaw, of Washington D.C. She leaves behind 11 great-grandchildren.

There are far too many people to thank for their loving care in the final days of her life, but her family would like to give special thanks for the staff in Memory Care at Lake Prince Woods, her companions from Home Instead in Suffolk and for the professional services of Hospice – Interim HealthCare.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 25 at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, 213 N. Main St. in Suffolk by the Rev. Dr. Keith Emerson. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Suffolk Humane Society for animal protection at 412 Kings Fork Road, Suffolk, VA 23434. R.W. Baker & Company in Suffolk is handling arrangements. Condolences may be registered at RWBakerFH.com.