Dorothy Mae Freeman, who went to be home with the Lord at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, April 14, was born Dorothy Mae Harris on April 24, 1938 to Reverend Joseph and Lucinda Harris in Birmingham, Alabama She was the oldest of three children which included her brothers David Lee Harris and Joseph Henry Harris. Sadly, Dorothy's father passed away when she was two years old. Dorothy's mother, Lucinda, raised her children as a single-parent. Dorothy actively took on the role of “Big Sister” to her two brothers, while they were growing up. It is also a role she had through most of her life. It also helped develop her into an effective nurturer for a myriad of friends and family as she became an adult. Dorothy had a very active childhood as she grew up on Birmingham’s West End, a vibrant and close-knit community. She and her brothers also spent fun-filled summer vacations with numerous extended family members in rural Lowndes County, near Montgomery.  Dorothy was involved in    numerous student activities, and was a cheerleader and majorette while attending Wenonah High School, where she graduated in 1956. While in high school, Dorothy met and courted Kirby Freeman,  a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, who also grew up in the area. Kirby and Dorothy were married just a few weeks after her high school graduation, and they relocated to the Canton, Ohio area. Their union eventually produced three children – Van, Monica, and Seth – and would last nearly 60 years.
From the beginning of their marriage, Kirby and Dorothy led Christian lives. Shortly after moving to Ohio, they joined Macedonia Baptist Church in Waynesburg. They later became long-time members of Antioch Baptist Church, where Dorothy’s nurturing talents were fully displayed as she served as an organizer and mentor of the young women’s group – The Guild Girls during the late 1960s and 1970s. It was through the Guild Girls that Dorothy had a lasting impact on dozens of young women who grew into adulthood. Over the years, Dorothy and Kirby also attended Deeper Life Ministries, as well as New Trenton Baptist, in Emerson, Ohio, where Kirby served as pastor, before reinstating their membership at Antioch, after Kirby retired as a pastor. Even as she relished her role as a loving wife and mother, Dorothy continued to pursue her education and career goals. She attended the Stark County Campus of Kent State. Shortly after moving to Ohio, Dorothy worked as a retail clerk in local department stores, and as an employee of St. Regis Paper Company.  Dorothy successfully merged her love of   education and her nurturing nature into a decades-long career path in education. She ultimately   managed an information systems and mathematics lab worked at Canton City Schools’ Souers Middle School. She worked for the school system for over 25 years. Dorothy leaves behind her loving          husband, Kirby Freeman of Perry Heights, Ohio, as well as her three children Kirby V. Freeman (Margaret) of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Monica J. Massey of Alpharetta, Ga., and Seth J. Freeman (Amia) of Austell, Ga.; as well as seven grandchildren – Megan, Briana, Tahlar, Brandon, Mehki, Matthew, and Sierra.  She also leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, loving cousins and lifelong friends. She is preceded in death by her brothers – David and Joe. Dorothy lived a full fruitful life…a life guided by her Creator…and lived on her on terms….a life to be fully celebrated!

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