Dorothy E. Laurence
Dorothy E. Laurence, poet and teacher, died
peacefully at her home on February 1, 2011. She was seventy-four
years old.
Born in Melrose, to Victor and Dorothy Thomas,
Dorothy spent her early years in Salem, and was a member of the
Salem High School Class of 1954. She remained in close contact
throughout her life with a group of her classmates, some of whom
she’d known since kindergarten. She earned a BS in Elementary
Education, a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education and a M.Ed in
Counseling, all from Salem State College. A teacher and
administrator in the Haverhill school system for many years, she was
Director of the Early Childhood Center when she retired in 2000.
Dorothy was especially devoted to underprivileged families, and
helped to start a “Breakfast Club” to ensure school children had
breakfast and help with their schoolwork. She was also instrumental
in developing “Los Amigos” at the ECC, a program that integrated
kindergarten children for whom English was a second language.
An accomplished poet, Dorothy was founder of
the Ipswich Poetry Group, former Chair of the Ipswich Cultural
Council, and a participant for many years in the Fine Arts Work
Center’s Summer Workshop program. She was active in politics
and environmental conservation, a member of the Ipswich
Democratic Town Committee and of several environmental
organizations. A dancer in her teens and twenties, she taught
for a time at the Arthur Murray studios in Boston. She also
enjoyed hiking, kayaking, bird-watching, star-gazing, and
traveling. Her grandchildren treasured their visits to her home,
eager for the adventures she promised. The words of one
granddaughter echo Dorothy’s outlook on life: “I wonder what we
shall do today!”
Dorothy cherished her family above all else.
She leaves her daughter Dorothy Antczak; son David Antczak, his
wife Patrice and their children Michael and Allison; son Andrew
Antczak, his wife Karen and their children Matthew Kimball,
Amanda and Andrew, Jr.; son Matthew Antczak and his wife Lily;
son Nathan Antczak, his wife Tracy and their children Olivia and
Katherine; daughter-in-law Wendy Laurence and her children
Jacqueline and Kristen; stepson John Laurence and his children
Ian and Heather; stepson Craig, his wife Marie and their
children Abigail and Benjamin; her sister Victoria Talbot;
godsons Paul Talbot, Jr. and David Audesse; several nieces,
nephews and great-grandchildren; and a multitude of loved ones.
She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Leonard John
Laurence, her stepson Lee Laurence, and her sister Suzanne
MacDonald. She was able to stay in her home throughout her
illness thanks to a dear group of friends including Maggie
Norbert, Marianne and Christine Cellucci, Marcie Armstrong, Jill
Herrick-Lee, Sarah Vickery, and Sam Sherman.
Funeral services will be private.
Arrangements are by the Whittier-Porter Funeral Home of Ipswich.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make memorial
contributions in her name to The ALS Association,320 Norwood
Park S, 2nd Floor, Norwood, MA 02062 (info@als-ma.org),
the Hospice of the North Shore, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102,
Danvers, MA 01923 (info@hns.org),
the Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100,
Arlington, VA 22203-1606 (www.nature.org),
or to the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, 24
Pearl Street, Provincetown, MA 02657 (www.FAWC.org)
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