Loved by her extended family and an extensive network of friends, Doris will be remembered for her many community and church activities over the decades.
Born in Dorchester, MA, on March 15, 1919, to Danish Immigrant Christian Schelde, and Swedish Immigrant Hilma Lindskog Schelde, she graduated from Dorchester High School for Girls in 1936 and subsequently completed training at the Boston Clerical School. She worked as a secretary at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in Boston until her marriage to the late J. Philip Stapleton at Dorchester, MA, in 1947. After living briefly in Lynn, MA, the couple moved to Springfield, VT, in 1951 and shortly thereafter purchased “The Pink House” in Perkinsville, VT, where they raised their three children.
She was an active member of the PTA at Perkinsville Elementary School, and eventually became the school’s secretary. She was also a Girl Scout and a Cub Scout leader during her children’s school years. She was a founding member of Planned Parenthood of VT (now Planned Parenthood of Northern New England) and was very proud of her accomplishments within that organization. She was also very active in the Springfield Unitarian Universalist Church.
She loved music, studied piano in her youth and continued playing into her 70’s, sang in church choir, Community Chorus, and taught her children to sing in harmony on long car trips.
In 1973, Doris married Richard F. Whitcomb of Springfield, and the two lived in the Pink House. She was the secretary at Park Street Elementary School in Springfield from 1970 until she retired in 1977, and thereafter served as the school’s volunteer coordinator and a special needs aide. She also became an active member of the Weathersfield Historical Society, and played a key role in organizing the library at the Society’s Dan Foster House in Weathersfield Center.
She eventually lost most of her vision to macular degeneration, but with assistive technology was able to continue to use computers and email into the last years of her life, and "read" hundreds of books on tape. She also worked as a volunteer for the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
After breaking her hip in 2008 she sought rehabilitation at Cedar Hill Continuing Care Community and decided to live out her years there. This allowed her to continue her active lifestyle. She had good friends there and especially loved the friendship of staff members who provided her care. She was proud to be the first resident to have a computer and demand an internet connection at Cedar Hill.
Doris is survived by her children, Linda & David Olsson of Woburn, MA, David Stapleton & Joyce Manchester of Waterbury, VT, & Tom & Elinor Stapleton of Harvard, MA; stepdaughters Ann Whitcomb of Springfield, VT, & Polly Whitcomb of Shelburne, VT; grand-children, Michael Johansson of Puerto Rico, Dianne Johnson of Proctorsville, VT, Kristen and Saari Greylock of Shelburne Falls, MA, Karel Olsson of Brookline, MA, Megan Stapleton of Waterbury, VT, Anna Stapleton of New York, NY, Meredith Stapleton of Philadelphia, PA, and Philip Stapleton of Cambridge, MA; stepgrandchildren, Suzanne Ruse of Putney, VT, Mark and Wendi Germaine of Chester, VT; and stepgreatgrandson Max Ruse of Johnson, VT.
A celebration of her life will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church on Saturday, December 5th at 1 pm, 21 Fairground Road, Springfield, VT, followed by interment at Parker Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Vermont Assoc. for the Blind & Visually Impaired, 38 Park Pl. #2, Brattleboro, VT 05301; or to the Unitarian Universalist Church, P.O. Box 944, Springfield, VT, 05156.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Roy Funeral Home and Cremation Service.
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