In Memoriam: Dorothy May Sachs, 1940-2022
Dorothy (“Dottie”) May Sachs (née Thompson) died peacefully on October 15, 2022, at the age of 82 following a sudden illness. Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Dottie was the middle child of three sisters and is predeceased by her husband of 54 years, Howard A. Sachs, her parents, Lawrence and Grace Thompson, her sister, Linda Janeczko, as well as her beloved niece, Barbara Bell.
Dottie leaves behind her eldest son Scott Sachs and his partner of 25 years Mary Margaret Carr of Washington D.C., and her son Keith Sachs and his wife Eleanor McMahon Sachs of Marblehead, Massachusetts, and their children Charles (“Charlie”) Hans Sachs (16) and Greta Thompson Sachs (14), who have the fondest memories of their Nana and will miss her dearly. Dottie’s sister Jeananne Strafford mourns the loss of Dottie, as do Jeananne’s daughters, Suzanne Boroughs, Jo Anne Roof, and Kathy Lang. Dottie is also survived by Linda’s widower, Frank “Jay” Janeczko and his son, Robert Janeczko. Dottie also leaves the dear company of many new friends she made in her adopted home of Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she spent the last three years of her life.
Dottie moved to Wykoff, New Jersey, with her family in 1946, and graduated from Ramapo High School in 1958. She attended beauty school and worked as a hair stylist until the late 1970s. She switched career paths and worked for Union Carbide in Wayne, New Jersey, until 1982, at which time she attended school to become a phlebotomist. She worked as a phlebotomist at Newton Hospital in Sussex County, New Jersey, until 1995. She and Howard then moved to Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania, where Dottie continued her work as a phlebotomist. Howard and Dorothy moved to Florida in 2002 and lived in Ocala until Howard’s death in 2019. Later in 2019 Dottie moved to Marblehead to be with her beloved grandchildren.
Early in 1964, Dottie met Howard by complete accident – as Dottie had managed to smash her Corvair into another vehicle and was quickly set up on a date with Howard by Dottie’s insurance agent – Howard’s sister. Despite Lawrence and Grace’s immediate disapproval of Howard’s “bad boy” image, Howard and Dottie were married in a small, private wedding ceremony in October 1964. Soon thereafter Scott was born, followed by Keith, 19 months later. Dottie was, above all else, an incredibly dedicated and loving mother to her two sons.
But the true joy in Dottie’s life was her deep bond with Charlie and Greta. Moving to Marblehead in 2019 gave her the opportunity to enjoy countless hours with them just laughing, spending time together, and being part of their lives. The sadness of Howard’s death was replaced with a revived joyful spirit soon after setting roots in Marblehead, where Dottie met wonderful friends and enjoyed walking about Old Town, zipping through the streets in her Mini Cooper, and soaking in the local scene. Dottie will be missed by many.
Many thanks to Attorney Sachs for sharing his mother’s story with us and our condolences to both he and his entire family. To leave your condolences or to share a memory please visit Dorothy Sachs Obituary – Boston, MA (dignitymemorial.com)
