Dorothy "Dotty" T. (Taylor) Folker

FOLKER, Dorothy (Dotty) Taylor. age 85, of Oxford, OH passed away peacefully on, May 23, 2019.  She was born on September 16, 1933 in Columbus, OH to Dr. Paul W. Taylor and Dorothy (Wood) Taylor.  She is survived by her daughter Jennifer (David) Crawford of Venice, FL; son, Jeff (Julie) Folker of Lake Forest, IL; granddaughters Megan (Nick Furlan) Crawford, Amy Crawford, and Lindsay Folker; grandsons Jason Folker and Jeremy Folker; sister Susan Knauss of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; nephews Tim Folker, Tom Kalahar, and Kirk Knauss; nieces Amy Folker, and Kristin (Knauss) Schlechter .  She was preceded in death by her husband Earl D. Folker, her daughter Deborah Lynn Folker, and her parents. 

Dotty grew up in Oxford and graduated from McGuffey High School in 1952, where she played field hockey, was selected to attend Ohio’s “Buckeye Girl’s State” her Junior year, and was awarded the Oxford Press “Citizenship Award” her Senior year.  From there, she matriculated to Miami University where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority and graduated in January 1955 with a B.A. in Education.  One day after graduation, Dotty married her sweetheart, Earl Folker, and created a “Miami Merger” that would last over 64 years.  A year after that, Dotty began her joyous career as a loving, nurturing, and amazing mother – a job she was born to do and a role that she cherished greatly.  Along the way, Dotty also worked as a special education tutor both privately and at Kramer Elementary School.

Dotty lived a purposeful life of service and selflessness.  A proud, lifelong resident of Oxford, she was active in the community and made it her mission to give back whenever possible.  She was a long-time member of the Oxford United Methodist Church where she worshipped regularly, was a Sunday school teacher, a member of United Methodist Women, and served on numerous committees.  She was a passionate, 50-year member of the Oxford CB Chapter of the PEO Sisterhood, and supported that organization up until her passing.  She was President of the Talawanda Recreation, Inc. (TRI) Board in the mid-1970s.  She also volunteered with “Meals on Wheels” for over 25 years.  In recognition for all of her generous and unselfish service to the community, Dotty was honored as an Oxford “Citizen of the Years” in 1994.

Her service to McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital was immense, heart-felt, and immeasurable.  Dotty served over 6,000 hours as a volunteer at the hospital and was twice appointed to the McCullough-Hyde Hospital Board of Trustees, serving from 1986-96.  In recognition for their dedicated support over the years, the Auxiliary of McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital recognized Dotty and Earl as Honorary Chairs of the hospital’s annual “Memory Tree” campaign in 2012.

As a proud Miami alumnus, she attended innumerable Miami basketball, football, and ice hockey games, as she and Earl were season ticket holders for many years.  She was a dedicated and engaged alumna of Miami’s Tri-Delt sorority.  Dotty also served on Miami’s Alumni Executive Council in the early 70’s, and in 2010, she and Earl endowed the “Earl D. and Dorothy T. Folker Scholarship” to provide assistance to local Talawanda High School students who might not otherwise be able to attend college.  In recognition of their years of service and dedication to the university, Dotty and Earl were named Miami’s “Parents of the Year” in 1984.

Dotty truly embodied the “Golden Rule” and was always doing unto others far more then she would ever have done for herself!  Dotty spent endless hours baking date nut bread for neighbors, visiting sick friends, attending a wide array of sporting events at McGuffey, Talawanda, and Miami, writing “Thinking of You” and birthday cards, and giving of her time and talents to those around her.   She will be remembered for her unselfish kindness, her loyalty to her many friends and family, her love of nature (the nickname of “Nature Nut” was well deserved!), her love and devotion to her family, and her deep conviction to Oxford, Miami, and her faith.  She will be greatly missed by all who knew her!

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to any of the following organizations in Dotty’s memory: McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Foundation, 110 N. Poplar St., Oxford, OH 45056 (https://www.trihealth.com/hospitals-and-practices/mccullough-hyde-memorial-hospital/foundation); Oxford United Methodist Church, 14 N. Poplar St., Oxford, OH 45056 (www.oumc.org); American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org).  A memorial service celebrating both Dotty & Earl’s lives will be held on Monday, July 1, 2019 at the Knolls of Oxford (6727 Contreras Rd., Oxford) beginning at 3:00 pm.  Condolences may be sent on-line to https://www.oglepaulyoungfuneralhome.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dorothy "Dotty" T. (Taylor) Folker, please visit our floral store.