Lasting Memories

Dorothea Fournier
April 4, 1930-Jan. 1, 2025
Palm Springs, California

Dorothea Ruth (nee Desens) Fournier, 94, died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Palm Springs, CA. She was born April 4, 1930, in Oswego, NY to Carolyn Isabelle (nee Alton) and George Milton Desens. She grew up with 3 sisters and attended Oswego public schools, where she graduated early with a full scholarship to Northeastern University in Boston, MA In 1947, when she was 17, she was voted Miss Valentine by an Oswego theater contest, which was highlighted in the local paper. While attending college, she was made captain of the Northeastern Huskies cheerleading squad. It was in Boston that she met Gerald Franklin Fournier, her future husband, a Merchant Marine studying to be a hairstylist. They were married April 30, 1949, and lived in Mattapan, MA before moving to Natick, MA. They had four children: Gerald Franklin Jr., Jean Marie, Frank Joseph II and Glen Andrew. Dorothea managed her husband's hairstyling business when he started his own boutique in 1969 on Newbury Street in Boston. The couple opened a second boutique in Worcester, MA in 1977. Later getting divorced after 30 years, Dorothea then moved in with her dear friend Dorothy Gorton in Framingham, MA and then Ashland, MA, living together for 17 years. Dorothea was licensed as a Commercial Realtor, performed ATM reconciliation for Shawmut Bank, was an apartment building leasing agent where she lived, drove a cab for Tommy’s Taxi, and performed customer service at Home Depot in Natick until transferring to their Biddeford, ME location, where she retired to a mobile home in Sanford, ME for 13 years. Her interests included dedication to her local church, West Natick Evangelical Church, where she served as church secretary, Sunday School superintendent and Vacation Bible School teacher, and her faith in Jesus Christ grew greatly through this time. Virginia Lyster, a Lilja elementary school teacher in Natick, became her lifelong friend there. Dorothea was a “sponsor, “ mentoring to many women through the Alcoholics Anonymous program for over 40 years and helped out at Serenity House in Natick. She travelled extensively to many countries, including once to Italy for vacation, but her favorite place to visit was always Provincetown, MA on Cape Cod. Dorothea was an avid reader, often studying her Bible, and loved all music. At 83, she moved across country to Dublin, CA to be near her son Frank and his spouse, Steve Elkins, and to assist in caring for Steve’s mother, Jackie Elkins. Dorothea and Jackie soon became good friends and enjoyed playing bridge together. After Jackie’s death in 2021, Dorothea moved into Frank and Steve’s home in Pleasanton, CA. Later in 2021, Dorothea, Frank and Steve all moved to Palm Springs, CA, where they lived together until sadly, in May of 2024, Dorothea suffered a massive stroke. She was then placed in the Premier Skilled Nursing facility in Palm Springs, where she lived for 7 months until her death. Dorothea was preceded in death by her parents, her 3 beautiful sisters, Carolyn Winifred Gray (96), Geraldine Bernadette Rossiter (84), Kathryn Eileen Ritzen (81), her former husband, Gerald Franklin Fournier, Sr. (90), her nephew Richard Tucker Rossiter (68), her daughter-in-law Peggy Kathleen Fournier (68), her loving friends Dorothy Gorton (81), Jackie Elkins (94), Elsie Rich (94), Roberta Humez (99), Nancy Vanaria (87), and Virginia Lyster (91). Dorothea is survived by her children Gerald (Tammy McGlade) of Ocean View, NJ, Jean (Ernest) Fitzpatrick of Three Lakes, WI, Frank (Stephen Elkins) of Palm Springs, CA, Glen (Ana Cerqueira) of Milford, MA, grandchildren Chelsea (Ben) Atis of Platteville, WI, Tyson Fitzpatrick of Columbia Falls, MT, Jacki Fitzpatrick of Pittsburgh, PA, Jenny (Edward) Fischer of Egg Harbor Township, NJ, Justin (Nicole Werner) of Ocean View, NJ, great-grandchildren Isaac Atis and David Atis of Platteville, WI. She is also survived by an “other loving daughter” Debbie Hayes of Millis, MA, her son Frank’s lifelong best friend. A memorial filled with music in celebration of the life of Dorothea will be announced later and is expected to be held in the spring or summer of this year. In lieu of flowers, please give to a charity of your own choice.