Dorothy S. Colbert

Dorothy “Dottie” S. Colbert

Born April 19, 1932, Dorothy Mary Skibinski spent much of her childhood in Lake Worth, Florida. After graduating from Bornemann Central Catholic High School in Reading, Pennsylvania, Dottie received a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from Mount Saint Agnes College in Maryland then returned to the Palm Beach area and worked as a phlebotomist. 

In 1959, Dottie married Robert “Pat” Paterno, a U.S. Air Force pilot. With the military, they traveled extensively, living for a while in Japan and the Philippines. In 1970, Dottie and Pat built a lovely home at the top of a private, wooded hill in Center Tuftonboro, NH, where they lived together until Pat died of cancer in 1974.

In 1976, Dottie met and married Eugene “Gene” Colbert with whom she shared an active and joy-filled life until Gene passed away in 2002. Although she greatly missed both of her “wonderful guys,” Dottie often marveled that she was blessed to have had two great loves in her life.

A deeply compassionate person, Dottie had a heart for those less fortunate and donated generously throughout her life to various charitable organizations. A member of St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Dottie enjoyed volunteering at the church and at the Tuftonboro Free Library. She was also a true animal lover and had several dogs over the decades, the latest being Patches who was a cherished companion during Dottie’s last years. 

Happiest in her serene home, Dottie enjoyed gardening and reading, and she delighted in the abundant wildlife on her property; she particularly loved watching the many birds that visited her feeders. Dottie was industrious, independent, and no-nonsense; she was also kind, fiercely loyal and devoted as a wife and friend. Having a true zest for life, Dottie loved to laugh and enjoyed entertaining and making special meals for friends and loved ones. Dottie was an amazing cook!

Dottie passed peacefully in her home on May 27, 2023. She will be lovingly remembered by her close-knit community of friends and caregivers as well as her Florida “family.”

Mass of Christian Burial at St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Alton, NH, at 11:00 a.m. on October 21, 2023. Arrangements handled by Lord Funeral Home in Wolfeboro, NH. Donations may be made to St. Katharine Drexel Parish; Lakes Region Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice in Meredith, NH; or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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