AUBURN – Dorothy Smith Tyler, 86, of 100 Vickery Road, previously a longtime resident of Keene, N.H., died Friday, Dec. 17, at the home of her oldest son, Donald H. Tyler Jr. and his wife, Sonia. She had recently been a resident of Montello Manor, Lewiston.

She was born in Danville, Pa., on March 6, 1918, the daughter of Reed and Ivy Moyer Smith. She, her sister, Eunice, and her parents moved to Harrison, N.Y., where she graduated in 1937 from Harrison High School. She later attended Hunter College in New York City.

She worked for a few years in New York City, where she met her future husband, Donald H. Tyler Sr. They were married in Harrison, N.Y., in February of 1944, and moved to Keene, N.H., in 1949, where they resided and raised three children.

While in Keene, she was an active member of the First Baptist Church, worked for many charitable causes, performed volunteer work for the Meals on Wheels program, tutored foreign students in the English language, and served as a volunteer at Cheshire Hospital.

She also held part-time positions at the Cheshire County Savings Bank and Prospect Hill Nursing Home.

Mrs. Tyler also enjoyed gardening, reading, cooking and baking, though her most important interest was her family.

She and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Keene, accompanied by many family members and friends.

Her husband died in November of 1998. In September of 2000, she moved to Auburn to the home of her son and his wife, where she resided until September of 2003. At that time she became a resident of Montello Manor until the beginning of December.

She will be remembered as a woman who was always ready to help those in need.

Survivors include three children, Donald H. Tyler Jr. and his wife, Sonia, of Auburn, Martha DeJohn and her husband, Frank, of Port Charlotte, Fla., and David R. Tyler of Palm Harbor, Fla. She also leaves five very special grandchildren and their families, Laura Tyler and her husband, Andrew Schwarz, of Boulder, Colo., Alison Tyler and her husband, Bassam Kassab, of Orange, Calif., Holli DeJohn and her husband, Aaron Smith, of Altoona, Pa., Sara DeJohn and her husband, Stephen Thompson, of North Port, Fla., Nicholas Lawton of Wahiawa, Hawaii; one great grandchild Olivia Lawton of Wahiawa, Hawaii; one sister, Eunice LaRoza and her husband, William, and their family, of Midland Park, N.J.; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She also leaves many cherished friends in Keene and Swanzey, N.H.

The Tyler family would like to thank the wonderful staff of Montello Manor for the professional and compassionate care she received during her recent illness; as well as the hospice team of Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice, who cared for her during her final days.

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