Dorothy (Bjork) Edgington

Dorothy (Dot) Edgington, 95 (née Bjork) died on November 11 at home. Born in Worcester in 1927, she attended North High School. She studied physical therapy at Bouvé College and after graduation worked at Duke University Hospital during the polio epidemic. While vacationing in the Bahamas in the autumn of 1950, she met John Edgington, an Englishman. She eventually moved to North London where they were married in 1951 and had four children.

The family of six returned to Worcester in 1966. Dorothy became a physical education teacher at Doherty Memorial High School. She later worked as a physical therapist at South High School, and as a fitness instructor at Briarwood Retirement Community. For over a decade, she co-directed Camp Windy Hill, a summer day camp for physically handicapped children through the Worcester School Department. She lived for many years at 45 Church Street, one of the oldest houses in Cherry Valley, before joining Briarwood.

Dot published works of both non-fiction and fiction including The Physical Handicapped Child in Your Classroom and The Chest of Drawers, based on the lives of Swedish immigrants in Northern Maine in the 1890s.

An avid camper, Dot loved the outdoors and organized canoeing trips to the Allagash in Maine for her family. She enjoyed playing bridge and golf and was a member of The Worcester Outdoor Sports Club. Always interested in the people of the world, she traveled extensively after retiring, visiting dozens of countries including Brazil, Nepal, Morocco, Russia and Peru, often in the company of her grandchildren.

Dorothy leaves her four children, Nicholas Edgington of Apex, NC; Jane Edgington Higgins and her husband Brian of West Brookfield; Jill Edgington Gandossi and her husband Luciano of Little Falls, NJ; and Anne Edgington and her husband Jerome of Rochdale. For many years she fostered Edward Beatty of Rutland. She was adored by her grandchildren; Devon Higgins Smith and her husband Mason of Yardley, PA; Stefano Gandossi of Atlanta, GA; Gianna Gandossi and her husband Gerhard van Niekerk of San Sebastian, Spain; Sarah Edgington of Worcester; as well as her great grandchildren Hagen and Colbie Smith.

She is predeceased by her husband John, her parents Hans Victor and Lillie (née Johnson) Bjork, and brothers David Bjork and John Bjork. The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff of the Briarwood Retirement Community and Jewish Hospice Care of Worcester. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dot’s name to Easter Seals or FINCA.

A memorial for Dot is planned at Briarwood at 11:00 AM on Friday, November 25th.