Obituary of Dorothy E. Conroe

Dorothy Rose Elwood Conroe of Memory Garden at Tanglewood, West Ellicott, Jamestown, NY, passed away on July 14, 2015. She formerly resided at Ellicott Shores Apartments in Celoron, NY, and previously on Clyde Avenue, Jamestown. She was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, the first born daughter of Dr. James F. and Edith Roggenbaum Elwood. She attended St. Bernard's Elementary School and graduated from Bradford High School. She continued her education graduating from Linden Hall in Lititz, Pennsylvania, which was founded in 1746 and is known to be the oldest boarding and day school for women in America where she concentrated in the academic areas of piano and organ performance and recreated in horsemanship. While at Linden Hall she served as an organist for the Lititz Moravian Congregation. Dorothy married Gerald F. "Jake" Conroe at St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church in Bradford, Pennsylvania. At the time Jake was serving as General Manager of the Bradford Block Company which subsequently relocated in Falconer, New York, as Conroe Concrete. The business provided masonry building blocks and concrete for Jamestown's construction industry. When the company was sold to Marietta Concrete Corporation Jake formed CONN Supplies which was subsequently incorporated as CONNwood Builders & Supply Corporation where Dorothy served as Corporate Secretary until the firm's dissolution thirty years later. Upon moving to Jamestown both Dorothy and Jake became active in the Chamber of Commerce Junior Jaycees organization. She was also a charter member of the Jamestown Mozart Club and a founding member of The Marvin House. Retiring from volunteer service at WCA Hospital at the age of 88 she was believed to be the longest serving volunteer at the time having first served in the 1950s as a Grey Lady providing amenities to patients and subsequently serving as a receptionist at both the front desk and the out-patient department, a snack shop worker and concluding her service as a radiology department patient transport volunteer. She also belonged to the Jamestown Concert Association, the Lakewood Rod and Gun Club Auxiliary and the Jamestown Lions Club Lionesses Program where she assisted the blind with their home needs. She enjoyed music, playing bridge with friends, summering at the family cottage in Maple Springs and especially enjoyed her time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Margaret, who died in early childhood, her husband Jake and daughter-in-law Ruth Conroe. She is survived by sons David of Westfield, NY, and Melbourne, Florida, and Douglas (Jane) of Maple Springs, NY. 7 grandchildren: Mark Conroe (Lynne), Colonel , US Army Retired, Fredericksburg, VA; Natalie Stamp (John), Grateley, England; Lt. Commander Thomas Conroe (Justine) currently on assignment at the Oklahoma City Naval Command Station, Oklahoma City, OK; Katrina Conroe, Westfield, NY; Deborah (Jeff) Moore, Bemus Point, NY; Michael (Nicole) Conroe, Buffalo, NY; Patricia (David) Krall, Hinckley, OH. 10 great-grandchildren: Sean, Emily & Jocelyn (Mark), Jackson, Charlotte & Tucker (Thomas), Brennan & Dylan (Deborah), Nicholas & Makayla Jane (Michael). A communicant of Holy Apostles Parish, the funeral mass will be celebrated at 10 AM Monday July 20, 2015 at Ss Peter & Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Dennis W. Mende, pastor will be celebrant. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 PM Sunday in the Lind Funeral Home where a Christian Wake Service will be led by Rev. Mende at 1:45 PM Sunday. Burial will occur at the family plot in the Bemus Point Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the WCA Foundation, 207 Foote Avenue, Jamestown, NY 14701, to the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, Attn: Erik Westrom Fund for Chautauqua Lake, 418 Spring Street, Jamestown, NY 14701, or to Hospice of Chautauqua County, 20 W Fairmount Avenue, Lakewood, NY 14750.