Dorothy A. Petzold

Dorothy Agnes Moers Petzold

Winter Park, FL – Dorothy Agnes Moers Petzold joined her husband Lewis K. Petzold, Sr., in Heaven on March 21, 2013, after braving a long illness. Dorothy was born in Kansas City, KS on November 6, 1927 to Bernard Moers and Helen Brown Moers. Dorothy led a remarkable life as a beautiful wife and an unconventional mother. Dorothy was determined to make an interesting life for herself and started her early adulthood by leaving Kansas City and moving to Chicago with a clerical position with Dunn and Bradstreet and an eventual transfer to San Francisco. She returned to Kansas City in the early 1950's and began working at the Meuhlebach Hotel in the hospitality industry. During that time she met numerous politicians, a couple of presidents, famous movie stars, entertainers and persons of interest. Later while working at the Phillips Hotel she met her future husband Lew who was visiting the hotel on business. Lew and Dorothy began a courtship and eventually married on April 2, 1964. Not sure how to start a family, they decided to adopt. In the spring of 1968, the adoption was drawing near and Dorothy found herself pregnant. The adoption was a surprise as it was twin girls; she named them Laura and Roxanne. Six months later Dorothy and Lew welcomed a daughter, naming her Polly. Dorothy and Lew were delighted to have gotten the family they wanted. In June of 1970, the same attorney that arranged the adoption for the twins called with an offer for a newborn baby boy that needed immediately placement into a loving home. Days later they brought Lewk home and added a son to their family. In 1972 Dorothy found herself again pregnant, and in December she had a son she named Alexander. Dorothy was a wonderful mother and fabulous homemaker, making delicious meals, maintaining a nice home, and keeping up with endless amounts of laundry generated by her children. Dorothy was creative and felt strongly that she should expose her children to all things fun. She would wake her children and take them on early morning breakfast picnics to watch the sun come up, mushroom foraging in woodland forests every Spring, and berry picking on hot summer evenings. She and her children would explore cemeteries and imagine the lives of those that had passed away. Sometimes her children had cake for breakfast and pancakes for dinner. Dorothy made up tall tales for her children to fuel their imagination and sometimes kept the tale alive for years. She made excitement happen and kept her five children entertained. Dorothy saw her children off to school each morning and had dinner on the table promptly at 5:00. Dorothy loved traveling and had a passion for history, particularly ancient history and civilization. Her extensive world travels mirrored her interests and her visits were, at times, during historical conflicts. She cherished her observations and felt honored to be a part of history unfolding itself in front of her. Years later she was sad as some countries she visited became war torn and never again would be what she remembered them. Her travels included most of the United States, Europe, Israel, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia, Cuba, Canada and Costa Rica. She visited Moscow in 1976 and found herself with an opportunity to catch a public bus and visited residential areas, seeing happy children at play, lovely gardens, and neighborhood parks. The very act brought her under intense questioning by the tour guide and a warning to not stray from her tour group again. Dorothy enjoyed the rest of her stay in Moscow sharing her contraband American magazines, stockings, make-up, cologne and Oreo cookies with the hotel desk clerk. Her most loved travels were to Mexico. She made more than twenty-five visits there and acquired many friends. Dorothy was a regular at local libraries, spas, restaurants, and outdoor markets around Mexico City. She traveled around the country visiting Aztec, Olmec, and Toltec historical sites. Piggybacking on her husband's local charity works, Dorothy would often take a suitcase or two of clothing and shoes, children's items, candy and snacks and would pass these items off at a local Catholic church and to beggars on the streets. She found local cobblers and seamstresses to repair some items to help them make a buck before she donated the items. Dorothy had an advanced palate and thoroughly enjoyed eating and trying new foods, especially when traveling. She was an early version of Anthony Bourdain and never shied away from an opportunity to dine, no matter what it was, and to share her experience about any unique meal she had. She would be hard to contain in her kitchen after coming home from her travels with foods and spices earthen cooking vessels, and trying to emulate what she had in another country. Dorothy enjoyed a good card game, growing tomatoes, poppies and four o'clocks, and watercolor painting in her early years. She loved any adventure and a good mystery novel. Dorothy is a member of the First Baptist Church of Winter Park. She leaves behind her twin daughters Laura May and Roxanne Rene, daughter Polly Petzold Karling and husband John, son Lewis Keith Jr. and wife Nancy, and son Alexander Moers. Sisters in law May Rader and Norma Jean Petzold also survive her, along with extended family and numerous friends. Visitation will be held on Monday March 25, 2013 at 10:00 AM with a remembrance service following at 11:00 AM at Newcomer Funeral Home, 895 S. Goldenrod Rd., Orlando, FL. Family welcomes friends to celebrate Dorothy at a reception after the services at First Baptist Church Winter Park, 1021 N. New York Ave., Winter Park, FL. The family would like to thank Edith for her compassionate care, VITAS Innovative Hospice Care for the comfort and care provided during the last nine months, and all friends that visited, brought food and prayed for Dorothy and her family. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to VITAS, 2201 Lucien Way, Maitland, FL 32751 or First Baptist Church of Winter Park Renovation Fund, 1021 N. New York Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789.