Obituary for Dolores I. "Dody" Button (Phoenix)
Dolores “Dody” Button was born on November 16, 1932. She died at home on May 25, 2019 at the age of 86. She was surrounded by her 6 children and much love. She was born Dolores Irene Phoenix, in Concord, New Hampshire, the oldest child of Albert and Frances (Pearson)Phoenix. She married Charles E. (Pete) Button in 1952 and left college to raise her children.
When her youngest child entered school, she returned to college, earning her B.A. in History and a Master’s in Modern European History at SUNY Albany. She then worked for Saratoga
County as a social worker, first in Child Protective Services and then in Adoptions. At the age of 55, she and her husband retired from their jobs and bought the Okemo Lantern Lodge in Proctorsville, Vermont. After Pete’s death in 1994, she ran the inn with her daughter, Anne, for six more years.
Dody was an extremely intelligent woman, who loved doing the Sunday New York Times crossword in ink. She was a great talker. Her mother said she started talking at nine months old and never stopped. She loved sharing the stories she’d gathered. Almost everybody who knew Dody had a “Dody story” to tell, often because she always said whatever popped into her mind. She loved people and making people feel welcome. She was an excellent cook who loved to see people enjoy her food. Never was this more evident than when she was running the inn. She loved to travel and loved talking to other travelers, often welcoming international guests and exchange students into her home. Years ago, when asked what her philosophy was, she said that she felt we each had our own garden to tend, and that is what she did.
She is survived by her six children, Charles “Chip” Button, Debbie Baretz (Bruce),
Aileen Agnew (Tim), Anne Button, Kate Button (Jon Zabinski), and Sarah Button (Glenn Orlic),13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild on the way. She is also survived by sisters, Diane Denier (Jim) and Sandra Harris (Larry), brother Mike Phoenix (San), her dear friend and sister in-law, Louise Eggleton (Donald), brother-in-law Thomas Button (Susan), many nieces and nephews, and all the others who have known and loved her.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to either Planned Parenthood or Greater Boston Food Bank.
There will be a celebration of her life on Saturday, June 15th at 1 PM at the West Medford Community Center, 111 Arlington Street, Medford, MA.
When her youngest child entered school, she returned to college, earning her B.A. in History and a Master’s in Modern European History at SUNY Albany. She then worked for Saratoga
County as a social worker, first in Child Protective Services and then in Adoptions. At the age of 55, she and her husband retired from their jobs and bought the Okemo Lantern Lodge in Proctorsville, Vermont. After Pete’s death in 1994, she ran the inn with her daughter, Anne, for six more years.
Dody was an extremely intelligent woman, who loved doing the Sunday New York Times crossword in ink. She was a great talker. Her mother said she started talking at nine months old and never stopped. She loved sharing the stories she’d gathered. Almost everybody who knew Dody had a “Dody story” to tell, often because she always said whatever popped into her mind. She loved people and making people feel welcome. She was an excellent cook who loved to see people enjoy her food. Never was this more evident than when she was running the inn. She loved to travel and loved talking to other travelers, often welcoming international guests and exchange students into her home. Years ago, when asked what her philosophy was, she said that she felt we each had our own garden to tend, and that is what she did.
She is survived by her six children, Charles “Chip” Button, Debbie Baretz (Bruce),
Aileen Agnew (Tim), Anne Button, Kate Button (Jon Zabinski), and Sarah Button (Glenn Orlic),13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild on the way. She is also survived by sisters, Diane Denier (Jim) and Sandra Harris (Larry), brother Mike Phoenix (San), her dear friend and sister in-law, Louise Eggleton (Donald), brother-in-law Thomas Button (Susan), many nieces and nephews, and all the others who have known and loved her.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to either Planned Parenthood or Greater Boston Food Bank.
There will be a celebration of her life on Saturday, June 15th at 1 PM at the West Medford Community Center, 111 Arlington Street, Medford, MA.