Dorothy Matilda Agnes Deeb Pollock

Dorothy Matilda Agnes Deeb Pollock died on August 13, 2016, at the age of 96. She is survived by her beloved sisters June, Marion, and Marcia, all of whom reside in Massachusetts. Her siblings Frederick (killed in WWII) and Barbara predeceased her.

Dorothy's grandfather was the first Syrian resident of Norwood, Massachusetts. Many Syrians came to settle in Norwood and Dorothy's parents were instrumental in the founding of St. George's Orthodox Church in Norwood. Dorothy's father served in WWI, and saw service in France, even though he was not a citizen at that time.

Dorothy's mother formed the first Women's Society at St. George's. They were very active during WWII with preparing bandages and other activities to support the US war effort. Dorothy's mother was extremely active in her church and community. She was a great inspiration to her children and grandchildren, and most especially to her daughter Dorothy.

Dorothy was the oldest of six children. The second child and only son, was killed during WWII just a week before his 21st birthday. He was the first Norwood citizen to be killed in WWII, but that same week several cousins were also war casualties. The street that they lived on in Norwood has a commemorative marker acknowledging his sacrifice.

When Dorothy's brother was killed, she believed strongly that she should become a Marine in his honor. She felt that she was replacing him and his commitment to the United States. Dorothy was one of 23, 000 women who joined the Marines during WWII. She served at the Charleston Naval Yard, as well as in Washington, DC. Dorothy was extremely proud of her Marine Corps service and often could be found wearing her Marine hats, such as, "Once a Marine, Always a Marine."

Dorothy worked for the Department of the Navy and then the Department of the Army for a total of over 40 years. When she was working at the 12th Corps on Ponce de Leon, she was the clerk who processed Elvis Presley's enlistment. She was forever thrilled that she had met him and loved everything he sang. She worked at the ROTC department of Georgia State University. It was a great pleasure to her to see so many young people develop into and become commissioned officers.

Dorothy was very proud that she was a member of the American Legion in her own right. She was a member of Georgia Post 1 for over 50 years. She was the first woman Commander of Post 1. She also served as Vice-Commander and myriad other leadership posts. For many years, she used her skills to write, print, and mail the newsletters for the Post.

She was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. She was a long-time volunteer at the Veterans Hospital in Atlanta. One of her favorite assignments was working as the DJ for the hospital radio station.

Dorothy was proud of her Syrian heritage and was a member of St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church for over 50 years. At the time of her death, she was the oldest parishioner. She also considered herself a lifetime member of St. George's in Norwood and would visit as often as she could.

She was invested as member in the Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch at St. George's at the same time as her sister, Marion. The membership of the Order is comprised of clergy and lay individuals who make a lifetime financial commitment and pledge to work together in harmony to promote the spiritual and financial well-being of the Antiochian Archdiocese and the Orthodox Christian faith. "And the Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." Acts 11:26.

Dorothy loved to sing and was a long-time member of the First Baptist Church of Chamblee (later John's Creek Baptist Church) choir.

She had three daughters: Elise, Chrystin (married to Lonnie Pleasants), and Dorothy (married to Robert Cedars), who were all with her the last few days of her life. There are eight grandchildren: Natalie, Heather, Christian, Brendan, Jordan (married to Julia Pleasants), Ashley (married to Jeremy Clegg), Pamela and Jason; and six great-grandchildren: Tara (married to Will Starr), Donald "Trey," Kimberly, Mason, Carson, and Jason, Jr. "J.R." who loved her very much.

Dorothy loved to travel and had been to many states, including Hawaii and Alaska. She made many international trips. One of the trips she enjoyed was taking a cruise to the Bahamas with her daughters on her 80th birthday. Her last international trip was a cruise up the Rhine visiting several countries with Russia being her primary goal.

Her last trip in the United States was with her daughters in 2015 traveling in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. She toured the Newport, Rhode Island, mansions and had clams at Flo's Clam Shack. The main event of this trip was attending Marcia and Jeff's 50th Anniversary party that was on the date they got married 50 years to the day.

Dorothy lived life to the fullest. Her family is most appreciative of her great spirit and curiosity of the world around her. She was always reading and her tastes ran the gamut from science fiction to lurid romance and crime novels to non-fiction. If it was a book, she wanted to read it.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Church, St. George's Orthodox Church, the United Services Organization, or the charity of your choice.

Thank you, Ms. Pollock, for your service to our country.

Feel free to leave the family your condolences via the guestbook provided.

Funeral Home:
A. S. Turner & Sons
2773 North Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033