Dorothy E. (Johnson) McCann of Marshfield Hills passed away peacefully on November 18th 2011 at the age of 84. The daughter of Swedish immigrants, Signe (Petterson) and Axel Johnson, “Dolly” was born into a family of seven older brothers who sponsored her training at Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing, from which she graduated in 1949. Dorothy loved her work as an operating room nurse at Boston City Hospital and continued working in obstetrics for over 20 years.
On October 27, 1951 Dorothy became Mrs. Richard McCann, the continuation of a life long love affair that remained secure during both difficult and happy times. Married life began in West Roxbury but shifted every summer to 88 Priscilla Rd. in Marshfield for a magical kind of mayhem, the tiny cottage bursting with cousins, aunts and uncles. The McCann family moved to Marshfield permanently in 1963. For Dorothy, “raising six children in a happy home was my most fulfilling experience.”
Dorothy leaves behind her loving children: Elizabeth St. Lawrence and her companion Joseph Zorzin of Orange, Kathy Tamulevich and her husband Jack of Hanson, Steven McCann of Plymouth, Paul McCann and his wife Maureen of Bridgewater, Carol Shrand and her husband Joseph of Marshfield, and Elsa Amadin and her husband Ikponmwosa of Lake Forest, CA. Dorothy will be sadly missed by her grandchildren, Sam and Rachael Tamulevich, Sophie, Jason, Galen, and Rebecca Shrand, Evan, Connor, Rory, Tristan, and Tessa McCann, and Lincoln, Elijah, and Dorothea Grace Amadin.
“Swedish Snow” to other Confidential Chat correspondents and “Dot” to her fellow Apron String members, Dorothy leaves behind a myriad of friends, a plethora of patients and clients she served for decades in her capacity as a nurse and licensed clinical social worker. She leaves an enduring impact on the Town of Marshfield where she was an elected member of the Marshfield Charter Commission, past Treasurer of the League of Women Voters, and an active member of the Marshfield Democratic Town Committee. She served as past President and Founder of the South Shore Area Massachusetts General Hospital Nurse Alumni Association. Other professional accomplishments include being a founding member of the Childbirth Learning Association of the South Shore and a Board Member for the Cranberry Chapter of the American Cancer Society. Dorothy was honored for her compassion with the Ruth Sleeper Award after 17 years of service as a Cranberry Area Hospice bereavement volunteer.
A lifelong learner, Dorothy returned to college at age 49 to earn a BS in Social Work, followed by graduate certificates in Substance Abuse Counseling and Gerontology. She learned to ski at the age of 52, organizing many trips for the family. Being with family and friends, reading historical novels, playing bridge, chess and scrabble, entertaining, and taking on new challenges: these were the true loves of Dorothy Johnson McCann.
Remembered for her warm and loving ways, for making ordinary things extraordinary, for her compassion, her commitment, her sense of humor, and for acting as a vibrant, visionary member of her Marshfield community, she will be sorely missed. Thank you Dorothy.
A memorial service will be held Monday, December 5th at 3pm at the North Community Church, 72 Old Main St. Marshfield Hills, followed by a reception celebrating her life at the Parish hall 4-7pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Dorothy’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472.