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Dorothy Hill (Raynor) Eames
Dorothy Hill (Raynor) Eames of Mystic, and formerly of Southampton, died on November 23 of natural causes. She was 97.
She was born in Southampton on August 5, 1923, the daughter of Charles Evremonde Raynor and Agnes Ellen (Hill) Raynor and sister of Evremonde John Raynor, all of Southampton, all deceased.
She was married on December 27, 1941 in Water Mill to the late Courtland Terry Eames (d. 1981) of Southampton. The family moved to Groton, Connecticut in 1952. In August 2004, she married William V. Abt of Mystic.
“Mrs. Eames,” as she was known to myriad Robert E. Fitch High School students, began her connection to education when she started driving small and large school bus routes in Groton for children with special needs and for the general student population.
She was an active member of Bishop Seabury Memorial Episcopal Church, where she served for many years as a teacher of Sunday School, a member of the Vestry and of the Altar Guild.
At the age of 36, she entered the University of Connecticut, where she graduated with a B.A. degree and two subsequent M.A. degrees. She taught English at Fitch for over 40 years. Mrs. Eames and her first husband built their waterfront home on Jupiter Pt in Groton in 1980. It was the first totally solar-heated house on the East Coast.
She was also an artist who studied at UConn, The Lyman Allen Museum, Southampton College and in private studios. Her watercolors and pastels have hung in the Mystic Art Association gallery, where she later became a docent.
She was active in innumerable public service committees over the 70 years of her life in Groton and Mystic, including the Kiwanis Club, Fitch High School Keyettes, president of SCADD, City of Groton as councilwoman, Community Mental Health Center of Southeastern Connecticut, and others.
In her advanced years, she, together with her second husband, Bill, still enjoyed sharing an artist studio in their home, meeting colleagues at the Friendly’s in Mystic, and taking rides to Stonington Point to paint and view the sunsets.
She is survived by her children Gareth Terry Eames and Nancy of Little Compton, Rhode Island; Mary Agnes (Eames) Ucci and Angelo of Woburn, Massachusetts; Lynette Fay (Eames) Gardner and Sidney of Griswold, Connecticut; and Terry Hill Eames and Yokasta of Norwich, Connecticut. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, Arlyn, Geoffrey, Hadley and Douglas; David and Rachel; Christopher and Melissa; Erin, Teuddys and Briana; and 19 great-grandchildren, Ryan, Ben and Grace; AJ, Max, Nico, Benjamin, Gavin and Delia; Samantha, Alison, and Benjamin; Daniel, Michael, Matthew and Anna; and Kolby, Corbin and Nevaeh.
Mrs. Eames/Abt will be remembered by innumerable community leaders, students, friends, and family, especially as a champion of the underserved and those with special needs, according to her family.
A celebration of life service will be held at a future date.
Memorial donations may be made to SCADD, 62 Coit St., New London; or the North Sea Community House, P.O. Box 308, 130 Noyac Road, Southampton NY 11969. Please visit www.byles.com to share a memory or condolence with the family.
on Nov 30, 2020