Dorothy Jean Nigro

Dorothy Jean Nigro died peacefully in her sleep on November 23 after a courageous battle with Lewy’s Body Dementia. She was 87 years old.

Born in 1934 as Dorothy Jean Ellis, she was the only child of Dorothy and Matthew Ellis.

She met her husband, Richard, at the age of eighteen at St. Lawrence University from which they both graduated. They married in 1958. Her first career was as a teacher at the Glen Cove Junior High School. She completed her master’s degree at Teacher’s College at Columbia University in the next three years and she taught until giving birth to her first child. She raised three children in Manhattan. She and her family began visiting Southampton in 1963 and the family moved there permanently in 1974.

During her years in Southampton, Dorothy taught English part-time at the Southampton Intermediate School. She then started a career in real estate in 1979, became a broker in 1980, and retired at the age of 70 in 2004.

Her volunteer activities included two years as Chairman of St. John’s Church Fair and hosting various booths at same; two years as a Sunday School Teacher at St. John’s; and sales and fundraising for the Rogers Memorial Library and the Parrish Art Museum.

Dorothy was the Founding (first) President of the Southampton Rose Society and greatly enjoyed growing and exhibiting roses. She became a licensed ARS Horticultural Judge and travelled to New Jersey, Westchester, and Pennsylvania to judge rose shows. She was also a consulting Rosarian. In later years, she was on the Advisory Board and enjoyed opening their gardens for member tours. She belonged to the Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons and loved taking trips to various gardens with her husband. They loved to design gardens together. She was an avid golfer who got a hole-in-one at the Shinnecock Golf Club.

Dorothy is survived by her husband, Richard; her daughter Pamela and her husband John; her daughter Laura; her son Carl and his wife Lucy; and her beloved grandchildren Nicholai, Cora, Audrey, Richard (R.J.), and Matthew.

A Memorial Service will be held in loving memory of Dorothy at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Westhampton Beach (40 Main St.), on Saturday, December 18th at 4 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Dorothy’s name to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (lbda.org); East End Hospice (eeh. org); or the Southampton Rose Society (southamptonrose.org).