Mary Ann Dodge, of Taunton, died peacefully in her sleep on December 21, 2006 after a long illness. She is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and Jim Dickson of Ballymartin, Northern Ireland; by her nieces and their husbands Jane Dickson and Joe Pickett of Swampscott, Susan Dickson and Adam Bukolt of Chilton, England, and Sara Dickson and Darryl Medina of Marion; and by her beloved grand nephews and nieces Kevin and Conor Pickett, Kendra, Allison and Max Medina, and Oskar Bukolt.
Ms. Dodge was a 1949 graduate of New Bedford High School where she was instrumental in founding the first girls’ basketball team. In 1953 she received her B.S. in Textile Science from the New Bedford Textile Institute, now part of UMass Dartmouth, where she was the only female degree recipient that year. After a career as a chemist at the Acushnet Process Company, Mary Ann went back to school, obtained her M.A.T. from Bridgewater State College. In 1964 she began working at Freetown Elementary School where she was an assistant principal and taught science and third grade until she retired in 1989.
A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, January 6, 2007 at the First Congregational Church in Marion. Mary Ann was a longtime member of the New Bedford Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution where she was a strong supporter of their scholarship program. Memorial donations may be made to the New Bedford Chapter of the DAR, (Good Citizens Scholarship Program), c/o Deborah Russo, 75 Forestdale Drive, Somerset, MA 02726. For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.