Obituary of Judith Wimberly Dorminey

Judith Wimberly Dorminey passed away Sunday morning, March 11th, 2018. Born August 1st, 1941 in Kingsport, TN, she was the eldest daughter of John Davis Wimberly and Margaret Nelms Wimberly. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, David H. Dorminey; one son, John Dorminey and wife Lisa, of Raleigh, NC; two daughters Katherine Dorminey and Sarah Dorminey of Charlotte, NC; two granddaughters, Caroline Dorminey of Washington, DC and Meredith Dorminey of Chapel Hill, NC. She is also survived by two sisters, Jane Apffel and husband Cornelius, of New Orleans, LA and Tish Wimberly-Wolfe of Charlotte, NC. Judy was a life-long learner. After graduating with honors from Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, TN, she excelled at Vanderbilt University. She was president of Chi Omega (her junior year), served on the Student Senate and Pan-Hellenic Council and was one of eight senior women inducted into Mortarboard, Class of 1963. She married three days after graduation and lived in several cities during her husband's seven-year naval service, including "back home" in Kingsport. The family settled in Charlotte in 1972. In the 1970's, Judy was integral in the saving and restoration of Thompson Orphanage Chapel, which became St. Mary's Chapel located on East Third Street. An avid reader, she was very involved in children's literacy through the Charlotte Junior Women's Club and also established a library at Siegle Avenue Presbyterian Church's pre-school. Judy earned two masters degrees, a Masters of Liberal Arts Studies at Duke University in 1989 and a Masters of Social Work at UNC Chapel Hill in 1992. Discovered in the Duke archives, her 1989 thesis "The Further History of William Isaac Thomas" was published as the featured article in the Spring 2011 issue of Sociological Origins. Judy was the family dictionary, thesaurus, grammarian and fluent in Igpay Atinlay. An amazing cook and green-thumb gardener, Judy provided more than just physical sustenance for her family and friends. A competitive introvert, she was at her happiest supporting others and seeing them excel, thrive, and succeed. She loved feeding songbirds, finding turtles, and making drip-castles at Pawleys Island. Best. Fried Chicken. Ever. The family would like to thank Dr. John Benedum and Lanita RN for their care and compassion. She was buried Saturday, March 17th, 2018 at Oak Hill Cemetery in Kingsport, TN. A memorial service will be held at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC on Tuesday, March 20th at 2pm, with the family receiving friends after the service. In lieu of flowers, please read a book to a child and donate to the charity of your choice.