Many members of the Sailing Club of Washington (SCOW) are mourning the loss of Dorothy Stocks, who died on July 24.
Dorothy brought so much joy, not just to SCOW but to the entire community of local sailors. I met her in 2003 when she was learning to sail and race Psycho (a SCOW club boat - Yankee Dolphin). She later purchased her own Cape Dory, Liberty Belle, and promptly solicited her brother to help do bottom painting and fine tuning so the boat could race better in the DISC Tuesday evening PHRF races on the Potomac. She often planned Caribbean adventures sailing with her friends and many times participated in the Parade of Lights Christmas parades in Alexandria. –Wayne Williams
I had the privilege of serving with Dorothy on the Board and the fun of sailing with her, too. Dorothy served for so many terms as treasurer that I started to refer to her as “Treasurer for Life.” She was one of those people who delighted in doing for others and whose service contributed so much to others. For a long time, her boat was two slips away from mine at the marina. I was thinking just last week while working on my boat about how much I missed seeing her at there. None of us who knew her will forget her service to the club, her thoughtful advice, and most of all, her incredible enthusiasm and positive outlook on life. - Jay Weitzel
She was always so gracious, kind and generous, took many people out on her boat Liberty Belle, participated in racing and social activities. I also sailed with her on club boats and she was great company as well as a skilled sailor. - Mary Bashore
SCOW taught me how to sail, but Dorothy Stocks taught me how to be a sailor--how to walk the walk, talk the talk, love the wind, and never stop growing. She was generous and giving and the "funnest" of fun. And she made me a sailor–what greater gift is there? - Peg O'Laughlin
I think I never saw her without a smile as she moved through the marina or sailed along on the river or on the Bay. - Barby Ullman
I spent many pleasant hours sailing with Dorothy on Liberty Belle. I also recall the good times we had cruising around St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2006, in the company of 17 other SCOW sailors aboard three large catamarans. - Alice Starcke
I sailed with Dorothy and her partner, Steve Linke, on their Tartan 42 from Miami Beach to Key West, and again over this past Memorial Day weekend for a reunion raft-up on the Chesapeake with a number of old SCOW friends who we sailed with on the Bay, the Potomac River, and the Caribbean. It was a great holiday in spite of the rain. We had a number of great pleasure cruises and races together on the Potomac over the years as well. I particularly remember a SCOW overnight sailing and camping trip to Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton, VA, with flotilla of SCOW cruisers and privately owned boats going downriver from the Washington Sailing Marina to Gunston Cove. We will all miss her. - Mike Rothenberg
