Obituary of Dorothea E. Darkow

Dorothea Elizabeth Darkow passed away December 8, 2023, following a bout with pneumonia. She was born in Michigan on August 17, 1934 and was adopted by who would become her loving parents, Oswald and Mathilde Trinklein. She was baptized at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Detroit where she lived thru her kindergarten year. Her family then moved to Hastings, MI where she grew up and graduated from Hastings High School in 1952.

Dorothea got a degree in Social Work at Valparaiso University in Indiana where she met her ‘to be’ husband, Dwain Willard Darkow. They married in 1956, moved to Pennsylvania and raised their four active children in Media, PA. Dorothea worked at Benchmark School where her patience and degree enabled her to enjoy a teaching career for 12 years. She volunteered as a tutor in the Hampton Schools Adult Education Program when they lived in Poquoson, VA for six years.

In her retirement years on Linvill Road, she enjoyed participating in the Country Gardeners of Lima club, travelling twice cross country in a RV, and most especially spending time and milestones with her children and seven grandchildren. Throughout her life in Pennsylvania, she was an active member of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Springfield where she was a choir member, Sunday School Teacher and Council Secretary. Her faith and devotion to God remained strong. Our family will remember her as the loving, patient, caring and kindhearted wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend that she was to us throughout her life.

Dorothea was preceded in death by two sons, Dwain Jr., and Dwight. She is survived by her husband, Dwain Sr, daughter, Ruth (Tracy), son, Steven, her daughter-in-law’s, Barb, Nancy and Linda, her son-in-law, Chuck, her seven grandchildren; Rachael, Daniel, Darrell, Eric (Tracy), David, Lisa (Tracy) and Lindsay and her three great grandchildren; Alyssa (Tracy), Nathan (Tracy) and Henry. Also survived by her niece Connie Caracciolo.

Funeral Service:Thursday, December 14th at 12noon at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Springfield, PA 19064.

Visitation: Thursday, December 14th at 11:00AM at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Interment: Edgewood Memorial Park.

As an option to flowers, donations can be made to St. John Lutheran Church at stjohnspringfield.org.