MySource:Wvarner/Dorothy Winship, Brookhaven 'poet laureate,' recorded CD

Winship, Dorothy Huie - Newspaper Article at Death

Dorothy Winship, Brookhaven ‘poet laureate,’ recorded CD By Nedra Rhone The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Dorothy Huie Winship was not a published poet but her poems have reached thousands of people. Several years ago, she recorded a CD of her poetry inspired by religion, relationships, life and Lenbrook Square, the Brookhaven retirement community where she reigned as “poet laureate.” She personally distributed more than 3,000 of the CDs to friends, relatives and just people in general who seemed as if they needed her words of “Loving Life.”

“That is just one example of mother being an inspiration to so many people,” said her daughter Emily Elizabeth Winship.

Dorothy Huie Winship’s Christmas gatherings became legend where every year for 21 years her extended family celebrated together.

Mrs. Winship, 89, died Thursday of natural causes. A stroke two years earlier had slowed her down, preventing her from handing out her cheery poems to passersby, but her passion for life continued to influence those around her, said her daughters.

As a child growing up in the Virginia-Highland area, Mrs. Winship’s love of poetry was encouraged by her horticulturist mother, said daughter Laura Winship Boyd. In 1945, she married George Winship upon his return from World War II.

The couple had one son who died in childhood, but Mrs. Winship would go on to raise three daughters in a home filled with love, parties and discipline. “Our friends used to call her ‘the General’ because she knew how to tell us to get our jobs done,” said Emily Winship, recalling one of the techniques her mother employed during trips to the family cabin in Lake Rabun. Mrs. Winship would use paper plates to make a wheel chart illustrating all the chores that needed to be done. Anyone who came to the cabin was expected to pitch in and help out between games of badminton. Mrs. Winship’s annual Christmas gatherings became legend when every year for 21 years the extended family would come to her house from across the country to celebrate together. Mrs. Winship would take the children on walks inventing games to challenge their imagination, or she would pile them all into her bed to watch television.

Additional survivors include another daughter, Dottie Guest; a sister, Eleanor Strain; eight grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Visitation is at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, with a memorial service to follow at 11 a.m. The family then will visit Oakland Cemetery for a special memorial and conclude with a trip to Varsity Jr., for a hot dog and frosted orange, just as Mrs. Winship would have wanted.