Doris Louise Dorsey Remsberg

Doris Louise Dorsey Remsberg, 78, of Braddock Heights died Tuesday, August 7, 2007, at the College View Center, Frederick.

Born February 25,1929, she was the daughter of the late Pauline Bussard Dorsey and Lawrence A. Dorsey, Sr., of Woodsboro. She was the wife of the late George C. Remsberg, Jr.

Mrs. Remsberg graduated from Walkersville High School, received her B.S. degree in Education from Towson State Teachers College, and earned a M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Maryland.

Mrs. Remsberg was an educator in Frederick County for 43 years. She taught second, third and fourth grades at Woodsboro and Thurmont Elementary Schools, worked in Pupil Personnel, and was the principal (Miss Doris) of Harmony Grove School and Rock Creek Center, respectively, from 1958 until her retirement in 1993.

Mrs. Remsberg, an early advocate for the education of those with mental retardation, was instrumental in establishing Harmony Grove School. This was the first public school in Frederick County for children with developmental disabilities. Mrs. Remsberg soon recognized that there was also a need to provide work opportunities for developmentally disabled adults who were too old to be served by Harmony Grove. Accordingly, she spearheaded the establishment of the Jeanne Bussard Training Workshop. In addition, Mrs. Remsberg helped to establish the Scott Key Center for Handicapped Citizens, The Frederick County Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children, and the Frederick County Association for Retarded Citizens. Mrs. Remsberg served on committees to develop programs at the state and local levels for the emotionally disturbed, as well as, the Big Brothers-Big Sisters Program in Frederick County.

Throughout her career and in retirement Mrs. Remsberg provided leadership and support for many organizations: serving on the Board of Directors for the Francis Scott Key Bank and the Board of Associates for Hood College; serving as President of the Frederick County Association of Elementary School Principals, Secretary of the Maryland State Association of Elementary School Principals, President of the Retired Teachers Association of Frederick County, Consultant to the Maryland State Department of Education and President of Gamma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. Mrs. Remsberg volunteered at the Vindabona and Citizens Nursing Homes and was active in the Braddock Heights Community Association and Historical Society and the Woodsboro Historical Association. She was actively involved in the Frederick County Democratic Party.

Mrs. Remsberg was recognized for her tireless efforts on behalf of the developmentally disabled in our community: Honorary Lifetime Membership in the Maryland PTA; Outstanding Professional Woman Award -Frederick BPW; Outstanding Citizen Award Frederick Sertoma Club; The Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award (Outstanding Principal for Frederick County); inducted into the Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame (GERl Award); Francis Reinberger Award-Family Life Center (Family PLUS), Woman of the Year Award -Frederick County Democrat Central Committee. She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary at the Woodsboro American Legion, Glenn Eyler Post and was twice Marshall of the Jaycees Fall Festival Parade. She was a member of United Church of Christ in Middletown.

Mrs. Remsberg is survived by her brother, Lawrence A. Tommy Dorsey, Jr., of Woodsboro; three children, Howard Deterding and Sharon of Kingwood, TX, Diane Deterding English Dobmeier of Winter Park, FL, and Lynne Remsberg Sherald and Jim of Alexandria, VA; eight grandchildren, Bonnie D. Smith and Jeff, Kim D. Lundin and Lee, Lisa Deterding, Todd English and Keri, Mark Dobmeier, Matthew Sherald and Sarah, Kevin Sherald, and Emily Sherald; and one great-grandchild, Landon.

Visitation: The family will receive friends at the Stauffer Funeral Home, 1621 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick on Sunday, August 12, from 2 - 4 and 7 - 9:00 p.m.

Services: Services will be held at the funeral home on Monday, August 13, at 1:00 p.m., with Diaconal minister Dahl Drenning and Rev. Dorothy Lundgren officiating.

Interment Mt. Hope Cemetery, Woodsboro

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions may be made to: The Monocacy Foundation Developmental/Doris Remsberg Fund or Frederick County Retired School Personnel Scholarship both c/o The Community Foundation, 312 E. Church St., Frederick, MD 21701 or to the Mt. Hope Cemetery, P. O. Box 66, Woodsboro, MD 21798