Obituary of Dorothy Thompson Arrison

Dorothy Thompson Arrison, 85, of Darien passed away quietly Monday evening, January 10, 2011 after a long and courageous battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, at the Rosenthal Hospice Residence in Stamford, surrounded by loving family members. Born June 27, 1925 in Neenah, Wisconsin, "Dottie" was the only child of Veneta Beck Thompson and Oscar Theodore Thompson. During World War II she attended Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin. After the war she transferred to Wellesley College, graduating in 1947 as a Wellesley Scholar and a member of the Zeta Alpha Society with a major in zoology and a minor in art. She met her beloved husband Bob during her senior year in college and they married in 1949. The family moved to Darien in 1970. She will be well-remembered for her great generosity, gracious spirit, and nurturing heart. In addition to being a wonderful mother, she was consistently involved in church and volunteer activities. She was a member of the Noroton Presbyterian Church, where she served as a deacon, an elder, and a Stephen Minister. Her volunteer activities included work with the Junior League, the Darien Community Association, and Person-to-Person, for which she served as a board member. She was also actively involved with the Noroton Yacht Club, the Country Club of Darien, Wee Burn Country Club, and with an informal women's group, the Go Girls. She enjoyed sailing, locally and on the Maine coast, playing bridge, playing tennis, drawing and painting, and solving crosswords and cryptograms. She is survived by four children, Robert Thompson "Tom" Arrison of Providence, Rhode Island, John Gilmour Arrison of Belfast, Maine, Janet Arrison Spedden, and James Alexander Arrison; four son- and daughters-in-law; six grandchildren; two brothers-in-law; and six nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband of fifty-five years, Robert Alexander Arrison, Jr. and by an infant daughter, Jane Arrison. A memorial service will be held at Noroton Presbyterian Church, 2011 Post Road, Darien on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Noroton Presbyterian Church, P. O. Box 3401, Darien, CT 06820; or to the Bennett Cancer Center, Stamford Hospital Foundation, 1351 Washington Blvd, Suite 202, Stamford, CT 06902. Edward Lawrence Funeral Home of Darien is handling the arrangements. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820