Juanita Marguerite Dorwart

Juanita Marguerite Dorwart died Friday March 21, 2003 at the Douglas Manor nursing home in Windham following a long illness. She was 89 years old. Mrs. Dorwart was born to John and Albina Perrault Beauvais in Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1914. Following graduation with honors from Holyoke High School, her plans to attend Mt. Holyoke College were thwarted by the Great Depression. In 1934, she married her high school sweetheart Reinhold Dorwart, and following completion of his Ph.D. at Harvard, moved to Storrs. She attended the University of Connecticut for a time but turned her full attention to raising her husband's three younger siblings and her own two sons. When the last of her children went off to college, Mrs. Dorwart opened an antique shop specializing in Oriental Art. Following his retirement from the University after 40 years of teaching, her husband joined in her antique business. For the next 30 years, Mrs. Dorwart combined her passion for interior design and oriental art, not only as a dealer, but as an appraiser, consultant and occasional lecturer. Numerous articles appeared about Eastern Connecticut's premiere orientalist in local and state publications. When Mrs. Dorwart became ill, her husband of 69 years kept vigil at her nursing home bedside everyday for two-and-a-half years. He died on November 3, 2002. Mrs. Dorwart is remembered by her sons David and Jeffrey, daughter-in-law, Nelly and three grandchildren, Catherine Dorwart Patterson, Candace Dorwart and Karl Dorwart. Her family will receive friends at the Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195) Willimantic on Saturday March 29th at 12:00 noon. Words of remembrance will be shared at 12:30 p.m. Burial will follow immediately at the Mansfield Center Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor's choice. Please visit www.potterfh.com for directions and online registry.