My Mother, Dorothy Kent Dewey

Exactly one week after the death of my mother, I thought I would write this blog post about her.
What can you say about an angel? My mother's virtues were many, her friends were many and her enemies were none!
Dorothy Kent Dewey began her life in Chicago on April 5, 1919 in Chicago, Illinois. She was born to Dix Darius Dewey and Myrtle Schmitt Dewey (another angel!). She had a older brother Dix who was less than 2 years older than her that she remained close to until his death in 1948. She never got over his death. A few years later came brother Charles "Chuck" M. Dewey and sister Sue.
By my own mother's words, she grew up in a "very Victorian" household. Their homes were Victorian homes, but it was her grandmother's living there with them that gave her a "Victorian" upbringingg. Etta Kent Dewey and Katherine "Katie" Satter Schmitt both widows, came to live in the Dewey household. My mother said she never saw her parent's embrace or kiss and they referred to each other as Mr. Dewey and Mrs. Dewey, very rarely by first name. In an era when women did not have careers, Mom went to Sherman Hospital Nursing School in Elgin, Illinois. She worked as a neuro nurse, a nurse to prominent Chicago dermatologists and was a private duty nurse for the famous Wrigley family.
In 1948 she met my father. His background was totally different from hers. The son of Italian immigrants, the family was openly very affectionate, loving and close. Mom loved it! She and my father married on May 7, 1949. Thus began a loving 62 year love affair that never ended. Right up until her last day, my father sang her beautiful love songs he wrote for her.
Mom was a great woman who will be remember for her love, great insights, philosophy, kindness, and beautiful soul. She was a very spiritual woman who held a great gift in writing. She wrote letters almost every day to many different people and everyone who received one loved them. She read one book a day, created beautiful gardens herself and every day and swam 100 laps in the swimming pool during the winter months right up until she turned 80 years old.
A perfect soul, such as my mother just cannot be described. My mother was an amazing woman and with her death I have lost my greatest advocate, mentor and friend!