- Date Of Birth: January 28, 1943
- Date Of Death: December 5, 2022
- State: Connecticut
Deborah Ann (Debbie) McKay Dowd entered into eternal rest on December 5, 2022. She was born to James McKay and Natalie Bryan McKay in Bridgeport, CT on January 28, 1943. She lost her father in World War II when she was 2 yrs old and was raised by her widowed mother, maternal grandparents and her mother’s siblings, in a multi-generational home, where she was the only child. She was well cared for and exposed to many cultural and intellectual experiences: among them, art, theatre, music, and reading. As a result, Debbie was raised to be gracious, expected to be mature, and was naturally personable.
Debbie was a graduate of Lauralton Hall, and Newton College of Sacred Heart (now Boston College.) She married Bill Dowd, literally the boy next door. Debbie began a teaching career in the Head Start Program in Norwalk in elementary education when classrooms were first integrated. She did the same in West Hartford when she and her husband relocated. They later moved to Barrington, IL and she taught there, until she became pregnant with their son, Jim, and the family returned to CT. She retired from teaching, became a mother, homemaker, an incredible hostess, and made their home at Christmas time rival many community Christmas displays. She also cared for elderly family members.
Though retired, she never lost her love of educating and she started the Art in the Classroom program at Dwight School which was later instituted throughout the school district. As her son grew, she morphed that into civic involvement, starting with joining the Democratic Town Committee, co-chairing a renovation of Andrew Warde High School and then on to a “career” in politics/civic endeavors culminating in being elected to the Board of Education for 16 yrs. She started many aspects of life over when her son went to college, using her organizational skills as an administrative assistant at Coldwell Banker and later at William Pitt Real Estate. At this time, she and her husband divorced; yet they co-parented their adult child and remained friendly. While divorce is always challenging, Bill remained helpful and interested in her well-being and was with her regularly, up until her dying day.
Debbie was predeceased by her beloved son Jim, and her parents. She is survived by her ex-husband, Bill, her daughter-in-law, Becky Boston Dowd, her grandchildren: Aidan, Emily and Brian, whom she adored, her very special exchange student “daughter” Kari Hagen of Norway, and many nieces and nephews.
