Loved gardening, playing tennis and bridge
WAKEFIELD — Dorothy “Dot” Adelaide (Roche) Manning passed away peacefully on March 11. She was born on August 24, 1935, the second of five children: Thomas, Margaret, Barbara and Claire of Thomas Roche and Dorothy Roche (Pons) of Brookline. Dot was an excellent student and a responsible sibling who watched her younger sisters after school while both her parents were working.
Upon high school graduation, Dot began working at the Brookline School Department. On weekends, she worked at Franklin Simon an upscale department store in the Chestnut Hill Mall from which she would get beautiful things on discount…things that from a shared closet would tempt her sisters into “borrowing” without notice.
Dot eventually took a secretary job with a copier company where a salesmen convinced her to buy company stock. This began Dot’s life-long fascination with investing in stocks. Around the same time, friends set her up on a blind date with Lawrence (“Larry”) Manning of Wellesley. They married within months and lived in an apartment in Newton-Wellesley while Larry worked as an electrician for the Town of Wellesley. Dot’s stocks did so well that she and Larry were able to purchase their first house in Framingham. They also opened Manning Electric for which Dot was the office manager and started a family: Larry Jr., Dot Jr., Laura and Beth.
While raising a family, Dot worked various part-time jobs: she drove a school bus, was a crossing guard, volunteered as a Girl Scout leader, earned her real estate license and began selling property. Eventually, she and Larry purchased rental properties in Framingham and Milford as well as a seasonal property in Moody Beach, ME, the Rosewood then the Padina which they later renamed as the Dorothy Adelaide. For almost fifty years, they ran seasonal rentals in Maine, taking great pride in building a loyal clientele some of whom became good friends. Each year they looked forward to the start of a new season, welcoming and visiting with guests, eating at Billie’s Chowder House and haunting favored ice cream stands.
In her “free” time, Dot loved gardening and playing tennis and bridge. She also loved hosting family gatherings, summer barbecues and holiday get-togethers.
Dot is survived by her sister Claire Fitzgerald of Centerville and by her four children: Lawrence Manning (Kristin) of South Boston; Dorothy Burr (Howard Given) of Merrimack, NH; Laura Manning (Natasha Saje) of Washington, DC; and Beth Craner (Daniel) of Sandy, UT. Dot also leaves behind many adored grandchildren: Ryan, Alyson, Erin, Kaitlyn, Cameron, Jack, Sara, Kevin and Katelyn; three great-grandchildren as well as cherished nieces and nephews (wink, wink).
Her funeral service will be in the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Saturday, March 22 at 11 a.m. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held prior to the service from 9 to 11 a.m. Interment, Walnut Hill Cemetery, Brookline. For the online guestbook and directions, please visit mcdonaldfs.com.