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In memory of
Dorothy A. Booker Tyler
January 1, 1935 - May 5, 2020
Jan 1, 1935 - May 5, 2020
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Dorothy's obituary
As she loved music and loved to dance, she went to a famous West Indian dance club in Harlem and eventually met her soon-to-be husband, Mr. Claude Walwyn, a Nevisian from Nevis in the West Indies. Upon marriage, Dorothy became an early ‘computer technician’ as a keypunch operator. Eventually, their only child, Karen Michèle Walwyn was born and, as both parents loved music and were both amateur musicians in their own rights, Karen was guided into a musical career. Dorothy spent many years introducing her daughter to the beautiful culture of music and dance by taking her to dance and piano lessons, to the Performing Arts Center in Jamaica, NY, as well as to the vast museums and monuments around and throughout New York City.
The family would eventually move to St. Croix in the Virgin Islands for two short adventurous years where Dorothy enjoyed singing and performing in a women’s barbershop chorus, the Sweet Adelines, and visiting neighboring islands. Moving back to the States, the family settled in South Florida as Dorothy continued her professional work as a computer operator. Her quality of work and commitment to her work was applauded by Operations Manager, Joe Riano, with aplomb.
In 1982, Dot returned to Cumberland, Virginia, built her new home on family land, and began a new path in life with a new career in teaching in the Cumberland County Schools, having been hired by the Director of Career and Technical Education and Support Operations for Cumberland County Public Schools, Robert Lee Scales. As well, Dorothy enjoyed helping others in need and opening her property to those less fortunate. Her new hobbies included flower gardening and birdwatching alongside her longtime hobbies of classical music listening, fashion and reading. She was a fierce reader, educating herself on health, self-improvement, and a favorite subject: meteorology. The one hobby that she never gave up on was watching the famed All My Children, with her favorite character, ‘Erica Kane’. Known to tease her mother often, Michèle would deliberately call her mother at 1 pm, the time of its airing, and claim to have a ‘question’ for her mother. Needless to say, Michèle heard an earful of choice phrases, always spoken with the dignity and grace of a queen!
Dorothy became very active at Rising Zion Baptist Church in Cumberland with Reverend Joseph Goode as pastor; she became a deaconess and sang Second Soprano in the senior choir as well. She was also very active within the community as she committedly visited the neighborhood churches.
Dorothy would soon become her father’s full-time caretaker for seven years. During this time, through another favorite aunt -- Aunt Mamie Booker – she met and would eventually marry Mr. Clarence Tyler from Goochland County. They were married for twenty-three years until his death in 2016. During their union, Dorothy remained active in her church and also sang in Clarence’s church, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. Avid travelers, they enjoyed many trips across the United States to see daughter Michèle in concert and a number of vacation trips including a trip down to Disney World. Clarence at the wheel at the age of seventy-eight on this infamous drive was accompanied by Michèle and Dorothy, who were keeping a watchful look out for the gas stations, Clarence enjoying the hunt for the most competitive gas prices!
As a widow, Dorothy participated in senior center activities in Cumberland, VA. She frequented the YMCA for swimming classes in Farmville at the age of eighty as well, driving herself weekly to her physical therapy sessions in Midlothian, VA where she was a model client, as her therapist frequently commented.
Dorothy’s fiery strength would shine most as she walked through a thorny path of a very rare autoimmune disease, Scleroderma, found in less than 1% of the population at her age. She overcame the numerous challenges presented by the disease at its onset in 2018, winning the stunning admiration of the many doctors that cared for her, including the Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center in Baltimore, MD. During her time at Collingswood Nursing Home in Rockville, MD, Dorothy continued her reading, arts and crafts projects, and her exercise activities. Dot, a fashionista in her own right, maintained her remarkable sense of fashion, directing her aides in the selection of her choices of colors and styles from her wardrobe depending on the day of the week. As she wheeled herself down the hallway, bejeweled along with her gloriously decorated fingernails, she was the talk of the admiring staff and patients alike. As she was anticipating a permanent return home from the nursing home to live with her daughter, home care a few short months away, she was met with the unforeseeable battle of Covid-19.
Dorothy’s infectious smile and quick-witted sense of humor will be missed not only by her family members but by her many caretakers: Katherine Johnson, Tyrone Winfield, Antonio Cooper, Tammy Williams Roger, Sylviane Chouameni, Jinu Jose, Wale Adejumo, Melinda Sellers and Princess Kamanda.
Preceding Dorothy in death were her parents, Robert and Elizabeth Booker; sisters, Elaine Booker, Marion Booker Williams, Sallie Mae Booker Beaford; and brother, Nelson Booker. She will be deeply missed and forever loved by daughter, Dr. Karen Michèle Walwyn; sister, Virginia Booker Hall; nieces, Patricia Ann Veney, Mary Alice Calloway, Cynthia Carter, and Marquita Hester; nephew, Kenneth Williams; cousins, Michael, Patricia, Jeffrey and Rita Scales Mayberry; along with a host of cousins, grandnieces, grandnephews, grand-cousins, family friends, church family friends and friendly neighbors.
A life celebration ceremony will be planned in the near future in Cumberland, VA.
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Created with love by
Karen Walwyn (Dorothy's daughter).
