The legend that is Dottie Nowland was born Doris Myrtle Foster on July 30, 1939. The adored only child of Ruth and Joseph Foster, they lived the life of a military family while dad was in the Marine Corps, stationed at bases on the East and West Coast. She was crowned Sweetheart of the Eagle Scouts and was a graduate of the acclaimed Marjorie Webster Finishing Academy. Dottie was scheduled to head off to American University, when a blind date set up by a good friend changed her plans. Now, although it seemed that nearly everyone she dated wanted to “put a ring on it”, when Francis Haywood Nowland came onto the scene that night, she knew he was the one, and a new story began.
Though she claimed she would’ve been happy living alone and naked in a cave in Greece, she was never alone again after meeting Frank Nowland. Together they had six children: John, Frank, Kala, Kathleen, Caryn, and Jimmy. They lived in states up and down the East Coast, settling in Virginia. Dottie Nowland was a straight ray of sunshine and people were drawn to her. She saw the good in everyone, the silver lining everywhere, and she took in every critter and every person that needed taking in. She was an incredible partner to Frank, raising their children, their children’s friends, various stray animals, and partnering with him to run the family business. She was a devoted daughter, bringing her mother, Ruth, in to live with the young family until decades later when Ruth passed. Otherwise known as Nan, Ruth Foster was a wonderful addition to the family and a legend in her own right.
Without pushing any agendas, Dottie and Frank encouraged their children to do and be whatever they wanted. For a long time, there was a lot of really remarkable, hair-raising “doing and being” out of all of the children, which she totally handled with humor, tolerance, exasperation, and cocktails.
Dottie’s greatest joy in life was her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She never said no to any of them. She adored the sun and the beach, and only would have moved out of her cherished condo to move to a larger condo so that there would be more room for people to come and visit. To the best of her ability, Dottie never missed a party.
Since January 12th of this year, she is pain-free. She is happy and dancing – probably in a cave in Greece in Heaven. There is so much more to her story and it deserves not to be put on paper, it deserves to be told- by a person with a cocktail in hand gesturing wildly, reenacting stories, and laughing so hard they cry. So come on and ask any of us – we have stories.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 19th from 2pm-6pm at Altmeyer Funeral Home at 5033 Rouse Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23462.
