Dorothy R. Masterson, 96, quietly passed away on May 8, 2018 with her children at her bedside in Cambridge, Mass. She was predeceased in 2004 by her husband Robert J. Masterson, and her brother Robert Ross in 2009. She is survived by her five children, Mark (Mary Brody) Masterson, Anne (Heidar deceased) Nowrouz, Donald (Annabelle) Masterson, Teresa (John) Masterson-Howe, and Judith (Eric) Butler, as well as 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
The daughter of Amelia Sehm and Harry Ross, Dorothy was born on Dec. 12, 1921, in Rochester. Her future husband Bob was born one day earlier that year, which became the source of yearly teasing about whom was getting older. Both grew up and went to school together in Rochester. Dorothy attended Marshall High School and later studied at Keuka College and the University of Rochester. She and Bob were married in 1945.
During WWII Dorothy worked at Delco Engineering while Bob served as a Naval fighter pilot. After the war, they moved to Seneca Falls and started a family. While Bob worked as an elementary school principal, Dorothy worked as the local secretary for the Red Cross, ran an in-home day care business and taught English to immigrants. In the early 1960s, the family moved to Cazenovia, where she worked in real estate and as a librarian at Cazenovia College, while Bob served as an elementary school principal, and later a sales representative for McGraw-Hill Books until he retired.
In addition to her many accomplishments as a working homemaker, Dorothy was very involved in community affairs. She was an active parishioner at St. Patrick’s Church in Seneca Falls and St. James Catholic Church in Cazenovia, where she served several years as president of the Legion of Mary. She was a fixture at daily masses and made her faith part of her daily life.
She volunteered at many community organizations in Cazenovia and Seneca Falls, including the ecumenical group that sponsored Vietnamese refugees. She was an accomplished author of over 35 articles, the novel “The House that Jacques Built” as well as many fictional stories.
Dorothy was an avid gardener, bridge player, golfer, walker, cross country skier and tennis player. In her later years, she travelled to Scotland, Israel, Afghanistan, Egypt and Costa Rica. During the winter months, she was a prodigious knitter, supplying her husband, children and grandchildren with a seemingly endless supply of sweaters, hats, scarves and mittens.
She will be missed by many friends from Rochester, Seneca Falls, Cazenovia and Annandale, Va., as well as residents and staff from Cadbury Commons in Cambridge, where she resided for the past few years.
A memorial mass will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, July 12, at St. James Catholic Church, 6 Green St., Cazenovia. Burial will be in St. James Cemetery in Cazenovia. The family will receive friends in the fellowship hall of the church where a luncheon will be held following the committal prayers at the cemetery. To leave a message of sympathy for Dorothy’s family, please visit michaelebrownfuneralservices.com.