Obituary for Dorothy Carolyn Powell (Neff)
Dorothy Carolyn (Neff) Powell, passed away on Sunday, February 12, only three days after celebrating her 87th birthday on February 9. Along with the titles of mother, grandmother and friend, she will best be remembered as a woman dedicated to the study of God’s Word and for her life-long career as a Registered Nurse who never forgot her chemistry or biology and the importance of caring for others.
Although she spent more than five decades as a resident of Mississippi, Dorothy was born in Denver, Colorado, spent a brief time in Costa Rica and moved to Ohio where she graduated from Lorain High School and completed her nurses training at Baldwin Wallace University. During high school and throughout life she shared her singing talent in plays, choirs and other musical performances where she utilized her skills to sing both melody as a Soprano and harmony as an Alto.
After a brief stint in England as a new bride, she and her husband, George, were later stationed at Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts where she taught herself to swim and earned multiple Red Cross badges for the number of miles she swam each year. It was there on Cape Cod that she and her family spent endless hours on the beach, at the park, skating at a local pond and occasionally camping throughout New England while viewing fall foliage. Her love for the outdoors and physical activity was an incredible gift that she passed along to her children who continue to embrace outdoor adventures. After retirement, she moved to the Villa Maria Apartments in the heart of Ocean Springs and could often be seen walking around town, down to front beach or to the local YMCA.
Dorothy loved to shop—especially for bargains! She also applied this skill to stretching a dollar and always making holidays special. Her one-of-a-kind banana bread and holiday treats such as gumdrop cookies were also hallmarks of her unique cooking and the great pleasure derived from sharing a meal or treat with others.
One of her favorite places to be was on the beach in Florida after discovering Destin in the early 70’s when the only thing to do at that time was camp on the Gulf. Even after her health declined, and walking on the beach became difficult, it was still one of her favorite places to watch the sun set She was always up for a picnic, especially after the temperatures cooled and she and her family could enjoy the time together outdoors.
Dorothy spent countless hours studying the Bible and felt the call to serve as a medical missionary in Haiti where she provided aid to local residents, many of whom would walk for days to receive treatment. While there she also took on the role of teaching English to students as she was learning to speak Haitian Creole.
Those who know her best marveled at her stoicism and admired her humor in the midst of years of physical challenges. Strangers would often comment on how sweet she was after only a few minutes with her and enjoyed her self-deprecating humor that remained with her throughout her life.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her father Frank R. Neff, M.D., Hilda (Schmidt) Neff, brother Bob Neff and son Steve Powell. She is survived by her children Kathy Powell (Len) Scarbrough, Tom Powell and Ben (Christine) Powell along with her grandchildren Elizabeth Powell (John) Jernigan, Seth Powell, Drew Powell, Tama Scarbrough (Kevin) Enroth, Meghan Powell, Chris Powell, Eli Powell and Nate Powell and great-grandchildren Katherine and Jack Jernigan along with her sister Mary (Neff) Martin and brothers Jim Neff and Chris (Kelly) Neff and sister-in-law Hella (Hacker) Neff.
The family will celebrate her life at a memorial service on Saturday, March 11 at 11:00 a.m.at Southern Mississippi Funeral Services located at 6631 Washington Avenue in Ocean Springs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Samaritan’s Purse, an organization that provides aid the world's poor, sick and suffering around the world including countries such as Haiti.
Although she spent more than five decades as a resident of Mississippi, Dorothy was born in Denver, Colorado, spent a brief time in Costa Rica and moved to Ohio where she graduated from Lorain High School and completed her nurses training at Baldwin Wallace University. During high school and throughout life she shared her singing talent in plays, choirs and other musical performances where she utilized her skills to sing both melody as a Soprano and harmony as an Alto.
After a brief stint in England as a new bride, she and her husband, George, were later stationed at Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts where she taught herself to swim and earned multiple Red Cross badges for the number of miles she swam each year. It was there on Cape Cod that she and her family spent endless hours on the beach, at the park, skating at a local pond and occasionally camping throughout New England while viewing fall foliage. Her love for the outdoors and physical activity was an incredible gift that she passed along to her children who continue to embrace outdoor adventures. After retirement, she moved to the Villa Maria Apartments in the heart of Ocean Springs and could often be seen walking around town, down to front beach or to the local YMCA.
Dorothy loved to shop—especially for bargains! She also applied this skill to stretching a dollar and always making holidays special. Her one-of-a-kind banana bread and holiday treats such as gumdrop cookies were also hallmarks of her unique cooking and the great pleasure derived from sharing a meal or treat with others.
One of her favorite places to be was on the beach in Florida after discovering Destin in the early 70’s when the only thing to do at that time was camp on the Gulf. Even after her health declined, and walking on the beach became difficult, it was still one of her favorite places to watch the sun set She was always up for a picnic, especially after the temperatures cooled and she and her family could enjoy the time together outdoors.
Dorothy spent countless hours studying the Bible and felt the call to serve as a medical missionary in Haiti where she provided aid to local residents, many of whom would walk for days to receive treatment. While there she also took on the role of teaching English to students as she was learning to speak Haitian Creole.
Those who know her best marveled at her stoicism and admired her humor in the midst of years of physical challenges. Strangers would often comment on how sweet she was after only a few minutes with her and enjoyed her self-deprecating humor that remained with her throughout her life.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her father Frank R. Neff, M.D., Hilda (Schmidt) Neff, brother Bob Neff and son Steve Powell. She is survived by her children Kathy Powell (Len) Scarbrough, Tom Powell and Ben (Christine) Powell along with her grandchildren Elizabeth Powell (John) Jernigan, Seth Powell, Drew Powell, Tama Scarbrough (Kevin) Enroth, Meghan Powell, Chris Powell, Eli Powell and Nate Powell and great-grandchildren Katherine and Jack Jernigan along with her sister Mary (Neff) Martin and brothers Jim Neff and Chris (Kelly) Neff and sister-in-law Hella (Hacker) Neff.
The family will celebrate her life at a memorial service on Saturday, March 11 at 11:00 a.m.at Southern Mississippi Funeral Services located at 6631 Washington Avenue in Ocean Springs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Samaritan’s Purse, an organization that provides aid the world's poor, sick and suffering around the world including countries such as Haiti.