Celebration of Life: 4:00pm, Sunday, November 5, 2017
Location: Weymouth Funeral Home Chapel
Reception: Following the Service
Location: Weymouth Funeral Home
Merle Padgett Dowding, 86, passed peacefully in her sleep at her home in Wilmington, NC on Saturday, November 21, 2017. She was born in Newport News and graduated from Newport News High School. She attended Cincinnati Bible Seminary and worked for First National Bank in the IBM Dept. She spent many hours volunteering for various organizations including The Peninsula Girls Club, serving as President, Girl Scout leader, Huntington Garden Club, Women’s Club, President of First Mates of the Warwick Yacht Club, Virginia Living Museum and the Bar Association Auxiliary. She was an avid gardener, and bridge and tennis player. Merle lived life to the fullest and was fun loving, kind, a snappy dresser, and most importantly never boring.
Merle was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Phillips M. Dowding. She is survived by her children, Anne D. Dobson of Wilmington, NC and Phillips M. Dowding, Jr of Newport News and her grandsons, Charlie and Chris Dobson. She was fondly known to her grandchildren as “Baba”. The neighborhood children enjoyed Merle’s beautiful garden and old fashioned Coca-Colas in her garden house.
A Celebration of Merle’s life will be held on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017 at 4:00pm at Weymouth Funeral Home with a reception to follow at the funeral home. In memory of Merle please perform a random act of kindness.
Arrangements by Weymouth Funeral Home.