Helen C. Dorr 89, died Thursday, January 11, 2024, after a brief illness. Born in Providence on Feb 10th, 1934, she was the daughter of the late Catherine (Haxton) and Raymond Whittum. She grew up in Providence and spent summers at the family farm in Hopkinton with her mother, grandparents and uncles. She shared a close relationship with her uncles Jimmy, Willy, John, Stewart and Ted.
After her marriage in 1958, she moved across the street from her childhood home and in 1965 moved from Providence to her newly built home on White Rock Road in Warwick. She has resided in Warwick for the past 58 years and was a communicant of St Kevin’s Church.
Growing up she learned to play the piano, loved to paint, and sew. She enjoyed working on home improvement projects and was great at fixing almost anything. Shopping was her favorite thing to do whether it was a yard sale, bazaar, antique shop, salvation army or a specialty catalog. She had a story about every item that she bought. She was very generous and loved to start her Christmas shopping in January. Collecting items all year long for her family and friends. Her 4 daughters were her world.
Helen graduated in 1951 from St. Xavier’s High School at the age of 17 and prepped at Hope High School with the goal of enrolling in an art program at RISD. Her plans changed and she accepted a telephone operator position at the New England Telephone Company. She left the phone company prior to the birth of her oldest daughter. During her hiatus from the telephone company, she was busy raising 4 daughters and worked in the family business, the Dorr Bait and Christmas Trees Co. Years later she went to work for her Uncle Ted & Aunt Ulla at Haxton’s Jewelry Manufacturing Company, worked as an operator at ITT Hammel-Dahl and as a receptionist for RI Housing & Mortgage before returning to New England Telephone as an operator for 0 and 411 services in Providence, East Providence and Fall River. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America. She retired on Dec 31, 1994. On the day of her retirement, the management realized that they were going to be short staffed, and she offered to stay to help, a story she loved to tell. After her retirement, she started her own business called Helen’s Crafts and handmade a variety of items include teddy bears and tea cozy covers. She was very proud of her Scottish roots, and she kept a notebook full of stories, traditions, quotes, jokes and unique expressions to pass along to her children and grandchildren about her life and family. These notes are priceless.
She was the loving and devoted mother of Susan L. Dorr, Carolyn D. Channell (Marcus), Ellen C. Smith (Victor) and the late Ruthann Dorr Crompton. She also leaves her loving grandchildren Marissa C. Mulholland, Ryan R.J. Mulholland, Kellan S. Ross, Isabella and Jack Channell and Ana Smith and 4 great grandchildren Dexter, Adelaide and Paisley McLaughlin and Roman Andersen.
In addition to her family, she leaves behind two extra special friends who were more like sisters, Dolores Clements and Kathy Bardeen. Also, a group of supportive friends at St Elizabeth’s Terrace – Bob, Wayne, Vicky, Joe & Betty.
A visitation will be held Saturday, January 20, 2024, from 8:30-10 AM at Father O’Hara Hall at St. Kevin’s with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM in St. Kevin’s Church, Sandy Lane, Warwick. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery, West Greenwich. Information and condolences, visit www.theQuinnFuneralHome.com
In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to Camp Surefire https://www.campsurefire.org/support-us/
