Nestled among trees, springs and sand hills, Dorothy Richardson Conrad was born May 27, 1924. On Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Norfolk, Va., at the age of 87, Dorothy passed away peacefully at Sentara Hospital.
A funeral service to celebrate Dorothy’s life was held on Friday, Feb. 24, 2012. She was laid to rest in Woodlawn Memorial Gardens 6309 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Norfolk, Va.
Dorothy, of Norfolk, was born to the late John Patterson Richardson and Nancy Katharine Dowd Richardson, the first daughter of eight siblings, including Ashton Richardson, Walter Myers Richardson, Robert Southey Richardson, Roger Dowd, Waylon Blue Richardson, Nova Frances Richardson and Margaret Richardson Chriscoe.
She graduated from West End High School and continued her education at Burrus Memorial Hospital in High Point. She married her high school sweetheart, Bill Conrad, in 1943.
Dorothy will be remembered for her love of cultivating roses and being an active gardener. The farmland of her childhood was never far from her heart. A few of her favorite memories were the open fields of fresh cut hay, the smokehouse full of seasoned wood, pastures full of cows waiting to be fed. She had a pet goat and a black crow. The hardships and joys of growing up on a working farm were lessons for each generation.
Being frugal was Dorothy’s trademark. Her other hobbies included quilting family heirlooms, the joy of cooking, and devotion to her Boston terriers. Dorothy was an associate at Mary F. Balentine Home, where she continued her love of caring for others.
Dorothy leaves to cherish her memory her life-long devoted husband of 69 years, Bill; two daughters, Dorothy Louise Conrad, of Norfolk, and Nancy Bruther and her husband, Dr. Larry Bruther, of Oakton, Va.; two sons, Rick and his wife, Layne Conrad, of St. Michaels, Md., and Edward Steven Conrad, of Virginia Beach, Va.; six grandchildren, Kimberly, Kevin, Shannon, Cole, Whitney and Reid; two great-grandchildren, Regan and Harper; as well as several nieces, nephews and extended family.