Dorothy Louise Downing Chesson was born August 11, 1946 in Plymouth, NC to Vinie Norman Downing and the late William Earl Downing, Sr. She made a peaceful transition to eternal life on Monday, September 22, 2014 surrounded by her loving family. She was 68 years old.

She was educated in the Washington County Public Schools. She was a member of Bethel Church of Christ (Disciples of Christ), she was a dietician in the Washington County Hospital in November 1977, cashier for 7 years at Food Lion, deli associate with Wal-Mart for 9 years. After 34 years of service with Washington County Hospital she retired in November 2011.

Dorothy loved working with food preparation and enjoyed making others happy with her specialty deli trays. Her favorite pastime was flower gardening, crossword puzzles, and watching old western movies, Gunsmoke, the Rifleman, and Bonanza topped her list.

She leaves to cherish her memories, a son- Ronnie Junior Downing- Plymouth, NC., daughter- Mary D. Little (Michael)- Raleigh, NC., sister- Jeanette D. Hill- Plymouth, NC., three brothers- William Earl Downing, Jr. (Linda)- Plymouth, NC., Ricky Harvey (Jennifer)- Roper, NC., Edward McCray (Rachel)- Greenville, NC., two grandsons- Lironn and Jahwan Downing- Chicago, Il., daughter-in-law- Marchita Downing- Chicago, IL., ex husband and loving friend- Willie Lee Chesson- Plymouth, NC., four nieces- Marian Satterthwaite, Angela (Missy) Hill, Wendy D. Jackson (Billy), and Tonya H. Walker (Michael) all of Plymouth, NC., five nephews- William Earl Downing, III (Theresa)- Plymouth, NC., Randy Downing (Jackie) Decatur, Ala., Christopher Downing, Lynwood Hill (Tasha), and Rodney Hill, all of Plymouth, NC., two special cousins, Diane Clagon and Otis Downing, and a host of other relatives , co-workers, and friends. A nephew, Kelvin Ray Hill, preceded her in death.

Funeral services were 2:00PM Saturday September 27, 2014 at Toodle's Chapel with Bishop Daniel Gilliam, officiating. Burial followed in Macedonia Cemetery.