Dorothy Way

It comes as no surprise to those who knew Dorothy "Sis" Way that she held off being born until August 24, 1920, 6 days after the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was ratified.Born in Hudson County to Elizabeth and Charles Henry Platner, she was the youngest of 3 children. Her two younger brothers couldn't pronounce her name, Dorothy, so they called her "Sis." It stuck, and well-suited her warm, outgoing personality, and open, friendly smile.



She graduated from Our Lady of Sorrows Grade School in South Orange, N.J. and Columbia High School in nearby Maplewood in the class of 1938. Summer vacations were active and fun-filled in Spring Lake with family and friends.



One of her happiest decisions came when she chose her beloved Chestnut Hill College, Phila., and the sisters of St. Joseph for her teachers and mentors, some of whom became life-long friends. She was a member of the National Catholic Honor Society and started the Riding Club. In her later years her children had to hide their smiles when she claimed the proudest day in her life came in 1941 when she won the philosophy medal on St. Augustine's Confessions and John Henry Newman's Apologia Pro Vita Sua.



While attending Chestnut Hill, she met her future husband, William Nelson Way, when his sister Anita, Class of '43, set them up. In '42, after graduating with honors in English, she returned to South Orange and began a 10 year career as a reporter for the Newark News in Jersey City. During those 10 years, she

actively served in the Alumnae Association of CHC, even serving as president of the DelMo Society.



While still at the paper in '44, she accepted Rev. William F. Sheehan's invitation to join him and three other panelists on a Friday night discussion show called "The Young Catholic Radio Program."In 1952, she put aside her career and moved to the Philadelphia area to marry her college sweetheart, Bill Way, with whom she celebrated 49 wedding anniversaries until his death in 2001. Together they were blessed with 5 children, 15 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren

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After living in Drexel Hill and King of Prussia, the Ways moved their growing family to Devon in 1961, where they flourished while Mr. Way worked with Hoffner and O'Rourke in Newtown Square, and they both involved themselves in school and community affairs. Over the next 54 years, Sis played active roles in their church of St. Monica community. From her early days in the Mothers' Club, she helped plan fashions shows and parish dinner dances. When Vatican II came, she and Bill joined other parishioners hosting Mass in their homes, followed by discussions moderated by Augustinians from Villanova on the new writings and teachings.



Years later she was astonished and honored when one day the Jesuit, John Courtney Murray, America's leading Catholic theologian during Vatican II, visited them in their home. She embraced her new chances as a lay woman, volunteering as a CCD teacher, lector, Eucharistic minister, RCIA mentor, a founding member and leader of the Bible Study, a member of the Nocturnal Adoration Society, and a member of the Parish Council. She served for 10 years on the committee to provide prominent speakers of all faiths for the Lenten Lecture Series, and even became a member of the Merry Widows group after her husband's death. But her official title was Director of Religious Education for the parish from '78-'99, from which formal job she finally retired at age 79. Several honors were bestowed on her during those years. One of those was the Mother Katharine Drexel Award for her work as DRE, and in remarks affirming her, a fellow parishioner, Jack Ansley wrote: "Sis is one of the finest examples of a Catholic in action that we can present to our children.... Sis is strong in faith, courageous in its expression, and filled to the brim with the compassion of Christ."



Another honor, and one which had her children smiling, was bestowed on her by her former pastor, Fr. William Trader, who in a reverse move from choosing an 8th grade girl, chose her as a May Queen in her late 80's. Sis's faith and clarity of expressing was well known by St. Monica's pastors and parishioners. In 1993, after a fire destroyed the old church, she was asked to write the case statement that was submitted for Archdiocesan approval for a new church. In the last years of her life, macular degeneration served her a bitter blow when she could no longer read her daily paper. Her career as a reporter made her a lifelong proponent and advocate for the necessity of the Fourth Estate. As she grew older, Sis often quoted Bette Davis, "Old age ain't for sissies." And with characteristic humor told her grandchildren that the wisdom that's supposed to come with old age is hard to reconcile with one's second childhood. She advised them to prepare themselves to look ridiculous, and to just keep laughing at themselves. Dementia slowly came stealing her wonderful mind, but never her happy, positive, and grateful outlook. Even in her last days in hospice at Spring House Estates in Lower Gwynedd, Sis was admired and loved by staff, new and life-long friends, and devoted family. She died peacefully on May 31st. Her funeral will be on June 5th at the Church of St. Monica, Berwyn, after which she will be buried next to her beloved husband in Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken.



Relatives and friends are invited to her visitation Monday, June 5, 2017 from 9:30-10:15 AM Church of St. Monica, First Avenue, Berwyn, followed by her Funeral Mass at 10:30 AM. Interment Calvary Cemetery, Conshohocken, PA.



In lieu of flowers, our compassionate mother requested that any donations be made to DoctorsWithoutBorders.org or SmileTrain.org.

Visitation

Monday, June 5, 2017 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
St Monica Church
635 First Ave Berwyn 19312, United States