Dorris Wingfield Smith McElroy

Dorris Wingfield Smith McElroy was born on December 1, 1938, in Richmond, VA, to Albert N. Smith, Sr. and Ethel Smith. She died peacefully, surrounded by her loving children, on August 22, 2025, at Gilchrist Towson following a cerebral hemorrhage. 

Dorris was predeceased by her beloved husband of 64 years, Ken McElroy. The two met at Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, VA. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of William and Mary, and later, while raising four children, earned a degree in pastoral counseling from Loyola University Baltimore. 

When her youngest son Brendan started kindergarten, Dorris returned to work as a home health teacher. She later founded A Place for Us Limited, a group home for boys, and ran the Don Miller House, a hospice for people with HIV/AIDS. Her work there led to her long-term volunteer service at Gilchrist Hospice. She also volunteered at Margaret Brent School, All God’s Children Camp, the Church of the Guardian Angel, and countless other organizations. 

She is survived by her children Patrick (Cathy), Bridget Cowie (Mike), Deirdre (Patrick Mellin), and Brendan, and by six grandchildren. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her brother, Albert N. Smith, Jr., and her grandson James McElroy. 

Dorris was a proud member of the Friday Afternoon Theological Society (FATS), which met weekly over a beer, believing, as St. Bridget did, that there is a lake of beer in heaven. She was an activist for decades and an avid campaigner for Shirley Chisholm. Her hobbies included playing Scrabble, knitting, and eavesdropping on conversations in public. She was an early adopter of clean eating, shopping at food co-ops and health food stores as early as the 1970s, and she made terrific salads. A late bloomer as a sports fan, she grew to love watching the Ravens and the Orioles. She will be remembered for her wit, humor, loving kindness, and friendship. Her family and friends will miss her deeply.

Service Information A memorial service and reception with the family will be held on: Saturday, September 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation 4 E. University Parkway, Baltimore, MD 

Tributes In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dorris’s memory to: 

All God’s Children Camp Online: www.BmoreSLYC.org Checks payable to SLYC, Subject: Dorris S. McElroy All God’s Children Mail to: 217 North Carey St., Baltimore, MD 21223

Gilchrist Hospice Online: https://gilchristcares.org/donate Mail to: Gilchrist, Attn: Philanthropy Department 11311 McCormick Road, Suite 350, Hunt Valley, MD 21031 

Church of the Guardian Angel 2629 Huntingdon Ave., Baltimore, MD 21211 Via Zelle: guardianangelremington@gmail.com