Dorothy M. Urch 

Hadley, Dorothy M. Urch, 84, of Hadley, died peacefully on August 12. Dorothy was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on August 29, 1930. She graduated from Pawtucket West High School in 1948 and from Pembroke College in Brown University in 1952 where she studied Biology. In the 1970’s, she returned to school and earned an M.Ed. Degree with a specialty in Reading Comprehension from the University of Massachusetts. She was a schoolteacher for much of her life and enjoyed spending the last 14 years of her career in Hadley, Mass where she served as the Reading Specialist and with great empathy and care taught many Hadley children how to read. 

Teaching and travel adventures took her to five continents – Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. After college she taught school for a year in Japan and in Germany, where she met her husband, George. She also lived for two years in Nairobi, Kenya, a year in Australia in both Melbourne and Wagga Wagga (on the edge of the outback), and spent 13 summers in London, England.   

Dorothy’s special interests beyond her profession included swimming, reading, and supporting the Democratic Party at both the local and state levels where she participated in several state conventions. She was an active member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Amherst, where she taught Sunday school, served as a Deacon, and chaired the Alter Guild, which she served for over 30 years.   

Throughout Dorothy’s life, her family was her greatest treasure; as an only child, she loved and took great pride in her family. She leaves behind her husband of 57 years, George Urch; her oldest son, George and his three children Kiersten, Taylor, and Andrew; her daughter, Vanessa, and her husband Paul and their children, Ethan and Deanna; and her youngest son Craig, and his wife Lindsay, and their sons, Colin and Owen. She also leaves behind extended family members with whom she was very close, including her cousin, William, and his wife Elaine; her cousin, Edith, and her husband David; and her sister-in-law, Marilee Passink.    

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, September 5^th at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her name to Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 North Pleasant St., Amherst, MA, 01002.  Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.