Dorothy Neter

Dorothy Neter

April 3, 1923 — December 20, 2023

Dorothy Neter died peacefully on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, in Chapel Hill, NC at the age of 100.

Born prematurely in Baltimore, Maryland, Dorothy weighed only two-and-a-half-pounds at birth. Her mother and father, who resided in Buffalo, New York had traveled to Baltimore because her extremely ill father had been sent to Johns Hopkins Hospital for treatment. When the physicians there offered little hope for his survival, her mother went into premature labor. In 1923, without the modern tools for treating premature babies, she, also, was not expected to live. To the doctors’ amazement both father and daughter survived.

Growing up in Buffalo, New York, Dorothy excelled in school. She was awarded the gold Jesse Ketchum medal at her eighth-grade graduation for achieving the highest grade-point-average in her graduating class.

A gifted piano student, Dorothy played many public recitals. A 1936 newspaper review of a recital sponsored by the Juilliard School of Music, proclaimed her playing “brilliant.” She gave piano lessons to children and continued to greatly enjoy playing as an adult. Her skills and joy of playing the piano remained, even after dementia robbed her of many other abilities.

Dorothy met the love of her life, John Neter, on a blind date arranged by her younger sister, Rhoda and John’s older brother, Erwin. From that instant forward they were inseparable.

As an adult, Dorothy expressed her creative artistic abilities by painting and especially in the creation of many beautiful ceramic pieces. Her many interests included classical music, opera, theater, art, travelling the world with John and appreciation of fine food. She was actively involved in the League of Women Voters, both in Minneapolis as well as in Athens, Georgia. But above all, she was exceptionally devoted to John and her family near and far.

In 2006, Dorothy and John relocated to the Cedars of Chapel Hill Retirement Community where they enjoyed retired life and made many new close friends. She and John had a rich fulfilling life together, enjoying all that the Triangle region had to offer. Sadly, in 2013 Dorothy was diagnosed with dementia and this unrelenting disease steadily took its cruel toll.

Dorothy is survived by her sons Ron and David, their wives Mona and Ann, her granddaughters Jordan, Chloe, and Celia, and her great-grandson Eli. She is preceded in death by her parents, Frieda and Louis Rachman, her sister, Rhoda and by her beloved husband, John. She was loved by all who knew her for graciousness, kindness, and good humor.

Dorothy’s family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to ­­https://curealz.org/giving/donate/ dedicated to funding research to eradicate dementia.

A funeral service will be held at 10 am on Friday, January 5, 2024, at Judea Reform Congregation located at 1933 West Cornwallis Road, Durham, NC 27705

For those unable to attend, the service will be livestreamed via the following link:

https://www.judeareform.org/livestream.html