Dorothy Ellen Todd

Dorothy Ellen (Mahone) Todd was born on March 22, 1939, in Wilcoe, West Virginia. She was the daughter of Beulah Lee (Shatley) Mahone and Charles Sanders Mahone. Dorothy, or Dot as her family and friends called her, was an only child, but her mother was the oldest of 22 children, so she grew up surrounded by friends and family. Her father worked for the railroad, which allowed them to obtain free passes for traveling throughout the country, even to California. Dot went to Wilcoe Elementary School and Gary High School in Wilcoe, WV. Because she was an avid scrapbooker, we found scores of items from her early school days that were so fun to go through. Dot loved art and music. We found a program from grade school in which Dot played Mother Goose in her school's spring production. Dot knew early on that she wanted to be a teacher. Dot attended Radford College for Women, graduating in 1961, and making life-long friends in the process. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and went on to teach both second and third grade for many years. Her students loved her so much that they wanted her to move up to the next grade with them—and she did! Dot met her future husband, Robert Edwin Todd, on a blind date when they both were in college. Bob attended Virginia Tech, a short drive to Radford. They married (eloped) on December 27th, 1962, in Lynchburg, VA. Bob was a Navy submariner who was gone 3 months at a time. After 4 years, he left active Navy and worked for the Navy as a civilian engineer, building ships in Norfolk. The couple loved camping and hiking the Shenandoah and Appalachian Mountains, birdwatching, taking and developing their own photographs, and spending many hours delving into their families' genealogy, so much so that they both became professional genealogists. They gathered information from the Library of Congress, courthouses, even cemeteries. Dot was able to trace her lineage back to Charlemagne. Dot was a proud member of The Daughters of the American Revolution and the Winthrop Society. Dot was a lovely Southern lady, who was a great cook, seamstress, gardener, and homemaker. She won many blue ribbons at state and county fairs for her cookies and cakes. Dot loved sending and receiving cards. She kept in touch with many cousins, friends, former students on Facebook up until a few months before she died. As a devoted daughter, Dot cared for each of her parents as they were dying of cancer. And when her beloved husband passed away suddenly, she bravely moved on without her other half. When Dot was diagnosed with cancer herself, she opened her home and heart to friends and neighbors. These neighborhood families doted on her after Bob’s passing and only increased their tender care as her health declined. Her one wish was to die at home surrounded by friends. Through the tireless work of her beloved doctor, she was able to be home, dying a holy death. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, August 7, 2026, at 10:30 AM at All Saints Catholic Church, 9300 Stonewall Rd., Manassas, VA 20110.

Dorothy Ellen Todd

March 22, 1939 - July 21, 2026