Dorothy McPherson

Dorothy "Dot" McPherson passed peacefully on April 15, 2025, with family by her side.

Dorothy Esther McPherson, née Becker, the youngest daughter of Else and William Becker, was raised in Paramus NJ, where she was instilled with strong German roots and culture, allowing her to blossom in the growing America of the 1940s & 50s.

Music, the thoughtful consideration for others, and a deep work ethic, infused their family home. In her youth, Dorothy enjoyed the drama club to the fullest, took piano lessons, and played guitar with verve, eventually joining a local chorus where she met her husband, Bill.

In the 1950s, Dottie’s parents acquired what came to be known fondly as City Slicker Farm, where she and her sisters worked, shared adventures, made summer memories, and welcomed visitors from all walks of life. As luck would have it, Dottie discovered her preferred way to live on that farm.

Dorothy benefitted from a fiercely logical mind, the source of a poignant and sometimes irreverent sense of humor. She took pride in her work as an accountant, sharing her talents generously. Dot had an intuitive sense for diplomacy in human relations, as well, and was a keen observer of people. Her incisive wit spared no one, and she did not suffer fools, but she adapted readily to life's surprises.

Dorothy loved with a special sweetness—we’ll never forget her charms & delicate qualities. She handmade beautiful, prize-winning quilts for friends and family, skied tough Canadian trails with refined skill, and worked tirelessly for the local environment wherever she lived. Later in life, she found opportunity to travel in Germany and Turkey. She loved challenges of all kinds and met them head-on.

Dot & Bill threw legendary parties, and relaxed at NYC jazz clubs with the stars of the day, whom they knew as friends. But it was at Windy Willow Farm where she felt most at home. The celebrations followed them there of course, with annual gatherings for extended family and friends.

To say Dot was a strong woman with a green thumb would be dramatic understatement. In fact, she and Bill raised Scottish Highland Cattle on Windy Willow Farm. Dottie respected Mother Nature in all her beauty, refusing to tamper with her garden while enjoying the truth of nature’s path and plan—and she brought those natural sensibilities with her wherever she went. Dot and Bill lived on the farm for over two decades until Bill’s death, when she moved to Massachusetts, into what would become her final home.

Dottie loved her extended family, her dogs, and cherished her trusted friends of many years. Most of all, she came fully alive in the presence of her two beloved sisters, Lillian and Margaret.

Dorothy is loved and missed by her stepgrandchildren, her nieces, nephews, their families, and her sisters.