Dorothy E. (Whipple) Loftus, age 88, of Shewville Road, Ledyard, passed away Tuesday morning at her home.
Mrs. Loftus was born in Ledyard on November 8, 1919 the daughter of Emerson and Nora (Massey) Whipple. Raised in Ledyard, she attended local schools and was a graduate of Fitch High School, She was also a 1940 graduate of the former Willimantic State Teacher’s College.
After her graduation, she taught for a short time at a one room schoolhouse in Ledyard before teaching for 3 years at Groton Heights School. In 1952, after starting her family, Mrs. Loftus then accepted a position at Ledyard Center School where she taught 6th grade until her retirement in 1977.
A lifelong resident of Ledyard, she was a member of the Old Mystic Baptist Church for over 80 years where she was a member of the church choir. She was also a member of the Ledyard Square Dancers. In her retirement, she enjoyed travelling the world with her husband and sharing photos with her family and friends. The Loftus’s will also be remembered for their annual 4th of July and Labor Day Picnics which they hosted for 45 years.
Her husband, William J. Loftus Jr. to whom she was married at St. Patrick Church, Mystic on June 22, 1942 died July 3, 2001.
She is survived by her sons, William J. Loftus III of Ledyard and Robert E. Loftus of South Royalton, VT; 2 grandsons, Matt & Chris, and a great-granddaughter, Avry; her siblings. Emerson O. Whipple of GA, Stanley Whipple of Gales Ferry, Lorraine Patterson of FL, Russell Whipple of Groton, and Margery Rabon of Gales Ferry, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by an infant son, Thomas, and a sister, Mildred Rand. She will be sadly missed by her family and friends.
A Funeral Service will be conducted at the Old Mystic Baptist Church, Shewville Road, Old Mystic on Friday at 1pm. Burial will follow at St. Patrick Cemetery, Old Mystic. There are no visiting hours.
Donations in her memory may be made to Old Mystic Baptist Church, P.O. Box 125, Old Mystic 06372.
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