Dorian Ruth Schatell

Dorian Ruth Schatell of Catonsville, MD passed away on October 8th, 2026 at the age of 66. She was in the company of her devoted husband Jim Johnston, and it was the 50th anniversary of their very first date. While Dori’s passing is shocking for many, it follows a years-long battle with breast cancer – she wished to keep things private in order to not be defined by her illness, and remained feisty even in her final days.

Dori was born in Orlando, FL on February 24th, 1960, and at age 7 moved to Milwaukee, WI with her family. A talented artist, she planned to go to art school, but chose helping people instead, and earned her Master’s Degree in Human Ecology from UW Madison. For 37 years, she served as the Executive Director of Medical Education Institute, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit, and she was an outspoken advocate for patient empowerment.

Most people who knew Dori would remember her as colorful and eclectic, usually with a smile on her face, and often whistling a song. She was a dreamer, a planner, an organizer, and stubborn as all get-out. Dori and Jim fell in love in high school and married while they were practically still children, at 22 and 23. A few years later they completed their family with two beautiful, smart, and caring daughters: Caitlin and Kellen. She loved using her artistic talents to create handmade Halloween costumes for her daughters, and themed birthday parties with cakes she would bake and decorate herself.

Starting at just five years old, Dori raised Monarch caterpillars into butterflies. She continued this practice each summer for the entirety of her life, even turning her front yard in Maryland into a certified wildlife habitat full of pollinator plants.

Dori was passionate about travel. She and Jim traveled together to every US state except the Dakotas and Alabama, and wandered all across western Europe, including visits to hot springs in the Azores, the Northern Lights in Iceland, cafes in Paris, and basilicas in Italy. She loved collecting antique and artistic treasures to decorate her family’s home. A Florida girl at heart, she loved the beach, and would obsessively gather seashells, with which she crafted incredible mosaics.

Almost every year while her daughters were young, the family would go on camping trips – first in tents, then in a pop-up camper, and eventually in a realistic Gypsy Vardo when Jim expressed an interest in Civil War reenactments. Dori taught herself how to read palms and tarot cards, and a weekend away at one of these events often felt like a month. In 2010 Dori and Jim prepped for a year and took “Brigitte Vardo” across the West to Burning Man – a transformative experience that led to them leaving Wisconsin the next year and relocating to the East Coast.

Dori passionately believed in her calling to improve the lives of patients with kidney disease, and help them to make choices that fit their lives and values. She wanted everyone to have the best possible quality of life. Through her work with the Medical Education Institute, she helped influence national policy, and wrote or edited ten books in the kidney field, plus brochures, blog posts, booklets, video scripts, e-classes, and more.

Dori is survived by her beloved husband Jim Johnston; her two daughters Caitlin (Carl Fisk) Cortelyou Johnston, and Kellen Savannah Johnston, her brother Marc (Jill Reich) Schatell, and her mother Audrey (Dick Lauwasser) Brooks. Dori also leaves behind beloved family, friends, and colleagues.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 10am on Friday, October 16, 2026, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 7426 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, MD 21045, followed by a reception. If attending, please wear bright colors, rather than black! Potted plants are welcome, but please no cut flowers.

Donations to the Medical Education Institute in Dori’s memory will be gratefully received.

https://mei.org/donate/