Rev. Dr. Dorothy May Emerson of Woburn, MA (formerly of Medford) - Unitarian Universalist minister, author, peace and justice activist - died suddenly on May 13, 2019 at the age of 75.
Dorothy leaves behind her beloved spouse/life partner of 30 years, Donna Clifford; her son Damian Elrod, his wife Kathy Vlietstra, her grandson, Zade Elrod (Portage, MI); her sister and brother-in-law, Mary Lou and John Woodcock (West Chester, PA); her brother, Howard Emerson (Trinidad, CA); her brother, Clark Emerson (Orange County, CA); her nephew & his family, Brendan Woodcock, Reena Panjwani, Aurelia Woodcock (Chattanooga, TN); her niece, Emily Woodcock, partner Greg Sobczynski (Ypsilanti, MI). She also leaves behind the many members of Donna’s family, who loved her very much, as well many dear cousins, friends, colleagues, and neighbors.
Dorothy loved to travel. She and Donna had many wonderful adventures in the U.S. and Canada, sometimes accompanied by friends or family. Whenever possible, Dorothy would plan their trips so that they could visit family and friends along the way. In recent years, Hawaii had become one of Dorothy’s favorite places to vacation, and she felt especially drawn to the Big Island.
Dorothy also loved music, theater, books, and art. She and Donna have attended many concerts, plays, and art openings over the years. Winnowing down her vast book collection in preparation for the move to Woburn was a difficult task for her.
Dorothy’s most recent book, Sea Change: The Unfinished Agenda of the 1960s, was published in 2018. Other published works include Becoming Women of Wisdom: Marking the Passage into the Crone Years; Standing Before Us: Unitarian Universalist Women and Social Reform, 1776-1936; as well as numerous articles, sermons, pamphlets, curricula. Just days before her death, 44 boxes of her professional papers were gratefully received by the Harvard Divinity School library for their archives.
Dorothy grew up in Fullerton, CA. She received a B.A.in German Literature from Pomona College in 1965. After living in Florida, Texas, and at the Women’s Encampment for Peace and Justice in Seneca Falls, NY, she moved to Massachusetts. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School in 1988. In 1997 she received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Andover Newton Theological School. Dorothy served churches in Wakefield, Watertown, Belmont, Medford, Weymouth, and Billerica, MA, New Haven, CT, and Honolulu, HI. She was the founder of the Unitarian Universalist Women’s Heritage Society, and served as its Executive Director from 1991-2001. From 1994-2001 Dorothy served as an Anti-Racism Advocate and Trainer for the Unitarian Universalist Task Force on Anti-Racist, Multicultural Congregations. She advocated for many years to have the UUA focus on class issues, and the intersectionality of race and class. She served on the board of UU Class Conversations and presented workshops on class issues to many congregations. Most recently, Dorothy was working on the Rainbow History Project for the UU Retired Ministers and Partners Association, a project that was introduced at the UURMaPA conference in New Braunfels, Texas, in February 2019.
Dorothy’s other affiliations include the Zonta Club of Medford, MA, the Mystic Valley Area Branch NAACP, and the Medford Arts Center, Inc.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, June 8, 10:00 a.m.,
at Melrose UU Church, Melrose. MA.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the UU Rainbow History Project of the Unitarian Universalist Retired Ministers and Partners Association. Please make checks payable to UURMaPA with “In honor of Dorothy Emerson” in the memo line, and mail to Rev. David Hunter, 535 Gradyville Rd, #V-211, Newton, PA 19073.
