Dorothy M. (McCarthy) Black South Burlington Dorothy Margaret (McCarthy) Black, 95, passed away on Tuesday December 10, 2103 surrounded by her loving family at Vermont Respite House in Williston. She was born in Portland, Maine on April 26, 1918 daughter of the late Frank and Anna (Coughlin) McCarthy. She graduated in 1936 from Deering High School in Portland, Maine and was a member of the first baccalaureate class of the then Gorham Normal School in Gorham, Maine. She married Loren T. Black on August 16, 1942 going on to teach in Little Sebago Village School in Sebago, Maine. Her teaching continued at the Orchard School in South Burlington until her retirement and the death of her husband in 1980. Between those years she stayed home to raise her four children. Dot was a member of Christ the King Church for the past 50 years. Since 1982 Dot had also been a volunteer with RSVP. Dot had also been very active in the Athena Club and a member of the Chittenden County Retired Teachers Association. She was gracious, generous and tolerant. She shared her time, energy and beliefs in the innate goodness of all people and worked for the past 30 years to insure that housing was available to those in need. Since 1981 and as one of the founding members Dot has been a Staff Volunteer with Home Share Vermont, formerly known as Project Home. As a senior, caring for her husband full-time during a prolonged illness, she understood firsthand the needs seniors had to remain independent at home. She and other like-minded volunteers got together with RSVP staff and came up for the idea of starting a home sharing program. They began to implement it with no road-map, just common sense and hard work. For several years the program was staffed 100% by volunteers. The program evolved and grew over the years to meet changing needs in the community, and Dot was at the forefront of these changes constantly trying to improve the program. Dot was also a member of the original Advisory Board. For over 30 years she has volunteered with Home Share interviewing clients, doing reference checks, updating files and attending a weekly volunteer meeting. Dot was truly an amazing person and an inspiration to all who knew her. Dot had a special talent of connecting to people, listening to their stories and to empathizing with their situation. When she did a home visit she was very often there for the entire afternoon. She would often take calls at home, at all hours, to help make a match or deal with issues which may arise. She stayed in regular contact with her clients even after they left the program. She was always singing the praises of home sharing to all who will listen. When she came into the office for the weekly case conference meeting she would always ask if we have any other tasks which need doing. Dot radiates hopefulness. Although her modesty would prevent her from seeing it, she was one of those rare people who inspired all around her. She had a contagious positive energy and was always able to joke about difficulties and hardships. When asked why she continued to volunteer she always said that she gets much more out of it than she gives. In April 2001 Dot was presented with the Governor’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service in recognition of her then nearly 20 years of volunteering. In the fall of 2011 Dot won the United Way Hometown Hero award in the senior adult category. When asked if we could nominate her, she said no, that there were so many more deserving people. Only when we told her it would benefit HomeShare Vermont did she finally relent and let us put her name forward. We knew she was a winner even if she didn’t! She enjoyed travel around the world with her friends always curious about other people and nations. Her oldest friend Tiny Gadhue enjoyed these adventures and they never tired reminiscing about adventures to Europe and other continents. The day to day activities, joys and challenges of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were shared in her daily emails and frequent phone calls insuring that all remained connected to her and to each other. Until the day of her death at 95 she drove regularly, emailed friends and family, volunteered weekly and lived an active and independent life in her own home. Dot is survived by her children: Carole Black of Tampa, Florida; Janice Black of East Waterboro, Maine; Loren “Buddy” Black Jr. of Jericho and his daughter Catherine Black of Burlington; Harold Black and his wife Donna of Essex Junction, VT and their children Robert Black his wife Amy and their children Weston and Anna of Fairfax; Amy Plog her husband Thomas and their children Jackson and Amelia of Fairfax; Cullen Black of Syracuse, NY and his daughter Evelina Black; several nephews nieces and one cousin of Windham, Maine. She also leaves behind a network of old friends, neighbors and colleagues at Home Share Vermont and all who knew and loved her will miss her caring, humor and warmth. She was also predeceased by her brothers Maurice McCarthy in 1991 and Frank McCarthy in 2011. Visiting hours will be held this evening Thursday December 12, 2013 from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at A. W. Rich Funeral Home – Essex Chapel, 57 Main St. Essex Jct., VT 05452. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday December 13, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church, Burlington with Reverend Patrick Forman officiating. Inurnment will be private and at the convenience of the family in the Spring. Memorial contributions may be made in Dot’s memory to Home Share Vermont, 412 Farrell St. Suite 300, South Burlington, VT 05403 or by visiting www.HomeShareVermont.org. The family also invites you to read further information on Dot and share your memories by visiting www.awrfh.com.