Dorothy Anne "Da" (Wallace) Oser

Worcester - Dorothy Anne Wallace Droser (known as DA), age 97, died peacefully at home with family on October 14, 2023. She was born in Rochester, NY in the midst of a blizzard on January 21, 1926, to William Wallace, a ceramic engineer and Hazel Struble Wallace who taught in a one-room school house. DA had two beloved siblings both of whom predeceased her, Elizabeth Barrett and William Wallace Jr. DA graduated from the University of Rochester in 1947 with a major in Latin and Greek.

DA loved spending the summers during college living with Elizabeth in New York City, and attending classes at Union Theological Seminary. On one of the train trips she took from New York back to Rochester, she met the love of her life, Vincent A. Droser Jr. (Vin). After graduation, DA became a staff member of the National Student Christian Movement working with 125 colleges and universities.

DA and Vin married in Rochester in 1948 and settled in Brooklyn, NY where the first of their four children was born in 1951. Vin's job with AT&T led to the family moving five times before 1968 between New York and the mid-west. In each town, DA became deeply involved in the church, schools, local politics and meaningful friendships. Wherever the family was located, every summer vacation involved a trip to Shelter Island, NY, which became DA's spiritual home. Vin was transferred to New York City in 1968 and the family moved to nearby Leonia, NJ, where, as she had in the other locations, DA became active in the community.

Tragically, Vin died suddenly in 1973. Resiliently, she completed Long Island University's Paralegal Litigation Studies Program. She was then hired by the Wall Street firm Sherman and Sterling and began a career there which required a commute to the city and often 7AM to 7PM days. She loved being involved in litigation and especially traveling to London and Antwerp to work on cases. Eventually, she became the manager of the firm's 170 legal assistants around the world and while she missed litigation and traveling, she enjoyed her new role. In 1981, her mother moved in with her to be closer to her many grandchildren still mostly in the New York City area.

In Leonia, NJ, where she lived for 45 years, she had three absorbing local volunteer activities. She served on the Municipal Juvenile Conference Committee, an innovative juvenile diversion program which she worked with for 40 years; meeting with young first offenders weekly to help them stay out of prison. She also volunteered for 25 years as a chef for the local Loaves and Fishes program. She held many leadership positions at the Leonia Presbyterian Church and believed her most important role there was as part of the Asian Ministry which outreached to the growing local Asian Christian community. She worked on ways to build understanding between cultures through education and shared cultural experiences.

When she retired, she continued her volunteer work while she trained for and hiked many sections of the Appalachian Trail with long-time close friends. She hosted her children and her 11 grandchildren every year on Shelter Island- providing summer child care and vacations. Her great passion, however, was to accompany her daughter, Mary, into the outback of Australia which she did for 11 summers. There she stayed in the shearer's quarters of a sheep station and cared for Mary's young children, and both cooked for and assisted the researchers who were excavating and studying Ediacaran fossils. The fossil Funisia Dorothea, the first creature to reproduce sexually, was named after DA in acknowledgment of her work in the outback. In 2011 DA's son, Vincent A. Droser III, died suddenly which was heart-breaking for her. She missed him every day.

At 89, DA moved to Worcester, to her cottage on Briarwood Circle, to be closer to family. She embraced that move as she had all the previous ones by immediately engaging in her new environment. She joined and became active at the United Congregational Church in Worcester. At Briarwood, she volunteered to deliver flowers and became a member of the interviewing team of the Briarwood Broadcasting Company. She appreciated Briarwood and joined the Development Committee to help sustain Briarwood's success. Her life was enriched by her many friends and neighbors at Briarwood and at the United Congregational Church.

She was a person whose values were manifest through her actions and her steadfast devotion to her family, church and community.

DA Droser is survived by her daughters Carolyn Droser of Holden, MA; Elizabeth Casey of Washington, DC; and Mary Droser of Riverside, CA and her daughter-in-law Nancy Anderson from Dorchester, MA. She will be missed by her sons-in-law; Andrew Dzaugis, Christopher Casey and Nigel Hughes. DA is the grandmother of 11: Richard Droser, Clifford Casey, Veronica Droser, Mary Dzaugis, Conner Casey, Matt Dzaugis, Catherine Droser, Peter Dzaugis, William Droser, Emily Hughes and Ian Hughes. She will be missed by their spouses, Corey Callahan, Austen Blair and Kiran Sury. She was particularly proud to have three great-grandchildren; Jack Droser, Hazel Anne Callahan and Naraya Ellen Sury. She will be missed by her many nieces and nephews, who loved her deeply. Her life was filled with love of her large extended family and family was the most joyous part of her life.

The family - and DA - would like to express gratitude to the staff of the Briarwood Retirement Community and to Home Instead and the Jewish Hospice Care of Worcester.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be sent to the United Congregational Church or through Worcester Area Mission Society ( https://www.wamsworks.org/donate ) toward their new joint project assisting local refugees. Please note in the memo of the check or on the donate page "DA Droser Memorial Fund".

A Memorial Service which will celebrate her life, will be held at the United Congregational Church, 6 Institute Rd. Worcester, MA, on October 21, 2023, at 1:00 PM. There will be light refreshments following the service.