Dorothy (Bruns) Moody

01/23/1925 - 07/07/2025

Dorothy passed away at home after a brief illness at the age of 100.

She led a remarkable, full and independent life living for 69 years in the same home.

She grew up in Bangor, Maine, the oldest of three children to Evelyn (Bailey) Bruns and William H. Bruns. She was predeceased by her brothers William and Robert. She grew up on Hammond Street in Bangor, and remembered when the trolley cars ran down Hammond Street. She also remembered one day when she darted across the road safely. When her father spotted her he yelled at her to come back.  She was hit by the trolley car on the way back, but she lived to tell the tale. She was raised in a three generation household. Her mother and grandmother did all of the cooking. It wasn't until she got engaged that she thought it might be a good idea to learn from them how to cook.

She attended the University of Maine in Orono. She was a commuter student. She was a sorority member, graduating in 1947 with both Phi Beta Kappa and Suma Cum Laude honors. She and her small group of friends inside the Sigma Mu Sigma sorority called themselves "The Bird Brains".

While she was at the university, she volunteered to attend dances with World War II troops who were returning home. At one of these she met a pilot from the west coast, fell in love, and got engaged. Dewey Moody, a classmate who was carrying a secret torch for her, convinced her to return the ring because she would not be happy moving so far from home. He saw his opportunity after that, and dad and mom were eventually engaged and married in 1949. All of her descendants are quite happy with that result.

As a young couple they traveled a lot due to dad's work first for the U.S. Forest service and later as a civil engineer. Mom worked as a social worker with at-risk families. Their travels took them to small towns in Maine, Virginia, and West Virginia before settling in Framingham, Massachusetts. They picked Framingham because, at the time, it was quite rural. Their home was surrounded by carrot fields, corn fields, apple orchards, farms, and woods. Of course, over the years that changed.  But it was a great place for the three of us, her sons Paul, Brian, and Eric to grow up.

She stopped working outside the home after we came along. She was a den mother when we were cub scouts. She encouraged us to take music and dance lessons, and she involved us in her many artistic pursuits including copper enameling.

An excellent pianist, she could both read music and play by ear. She continued to play just about daily until her increasing deafness robbed her of that ability.

While the family settled in Framingham, dad's career kept him traveling to many foreign lands. Invariably, something would go wrong around the house while he was away. She reluctantly became adept at handling these situations, but dad would hear about them when he got home!

Mom was very involved in the community. She was involved with Community Concerts, was President of the Framingham Garden Club, and she was a volunteer at the library well into her nineties. Both mom and dad were known for their strong environmentalism long before that was even a word. She was a member of First Parish Church in Framingham.

In 1969 we moved to Trinidad for a year because dad was working on a 15 month water study for the Trinidadian government. We lived in the police commissioner's house. The arrangement came with a gardener, Dean, and a homemaker, Angela. In her typical fashion, mom quickly established relationships with them and made them more a part of the family than employees. For decades after we left, she and Angela kept in touch. The company also required us to have drivers. Kenneth and Tony also became friends.

That theme continued throughout her life. Our home was really grand central station growing up, a place for all of our friends to hang out. Many international hotel trainees found a home with us. Harriett McMahon, Brian's high school friend, and her husband Bob became very close with mom. During her hospice stay at home she held on until she had a chance to give them each a big hug.

Family was mom's focus. During the summers we would visit either Bangor/Brewer or Waldoboro to spend time with extended family. She was very proud of her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren, enriching all of their lives with her love and support. Many grandchildren remember staying over at her house; how she would bake with them, make costumes and parades, read to them, and make it so special that they did not want to leave. She extended her love without stint to all of the spouses of her children and grandchildren. It also extended to the large menagerie of animal companions that we had over the years. She was great at love. She was great at understanding. And no pun intended, she was a great grandmother, a role that she cherished!

Mom became a wonderful cook, filling her house with cookbooks, and feeding our grateful bellies. Many of us have some of her handwritten recipes and still make them to this day.

She had many lasting friendships over the years with neighbors and with people who she met in her various pursuits. They are too numerous to mention without leaving someone important out!

After Dad died in 2005 she continued to live in her Framingham home. She spent time every year in her house on Damariscotta Lake, surrounded by her Moody family. Fiercely independent, she continued to drive until her 99th birthday. Until a few weeks ago, she still rode her stationary bicycle 20 minutes every day, she still made all of her meals from scratch, and she took care of her 20 year old cat, Frankie.

While in the hospital twice before coming home on hospice, she charmed and amazed everyone there. She had a knack of getting to know people, and she continued to do so right up until the point where her voice failed. She was an avid reader. In fact, while on the ambulance stretcher she made the paramedic stop so that we could get her latest library book to bring along.

According to her wishes, no wake or funeral services will be scheduled. Instead there will be a remembering of her life at a family gathering in Nobleboro, ME in the fall.

She is survived by her three sons:

Paul Moody (and Darcy Kirk) of Hinsdale, MA,

Brian (and Susan Moody) of Holliston, MA, and

Eric Moody of West Suffield, CT.

She is also survived by her 8 grandsons, their spouses, and 6 great-grandchildren;

Bryce and Becky Moody and their two children Landon and Kinsley of Mount Desert, ME

Patrick and Lena Moody and their two children Lilliana and Blake of Westfield, MA

Kevin and Isabelle Moody and their children Lydia and Liam of Bar Harbor, ME

Timothy Moody and his wife Christina Cannon of Decatur, GA

Michael Moody of Biddeford, ME;

Ben Moody and his wife Kiyoko Reidy of Monona, WI

Mitchell Moody and his wife Kristen, and Colin Moody of West Suffield, CT.

Donations in her name can be made to the following causes that were near and dear to her.

Framingham Garden Club

c/o Cathy Denorscia

53 Sunshine Dr, Marlborough MA 01752

Framingham Public Library - Support the Library | Support the Library | Framingham Public Library

Waldoboro Public Library - Waldoboro Public Library - about

Rockland Breakwater - The Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse | The City of Rockland, Maine