Dolores “Dolly” I. Wojcik
Dolores “Dolly” Izma Wojcik (née Nasby), age 81, of Harpers Ferry, WV, went to be with the Lord on July 24, 2023, after battling acute myeloid leukemia. Born June 28, 1942, she was the daughter of Richard “Dick” Nasby and Joyce Nasby (née Lafferty). Although legally named after her Aunt Dolores Lovejoy (née Lafferty) and her maternal grandmother Izma Lafferty (née Sacora), everyone knew Dolores as Dolly. When she was an infant, her father, who was manager of the largest Woolworth store in downtown Chicago, had just received a shipment of a darling new baby doll named “Dolly.” Because Dolores was such a cute baby, her father nicknamed her “Dolly” after that adorable doll, and the name stuck.
Dolly spent her early years in Chicago, IL, and Holland, MI. She spent her school years in the “Cereal Capital” Battle Creek, MI. The family moved there when her dad purchased his first Ben Franklin five and ten-cents store in downtown Battle Creek in the early 1940s. During her teen years, Dolly worked at her dad’s store and in the Kellogg cereal factory. She graduated from Battle Creek Central High School in 1960 and attended the University of Iowa, Michigan State, and Kellogg Community College, until she took a civilian job with the Department of Defense. At work, she met a very good-looking, tall Lieutenant from Clymer, PA. (The date was October 2, 1962, coincidentally exactly ten years prior to the birth of Dolly’s third child.) After a whirlwind romance, Dolly married Walter Wojcik on May 11, 1963, at the Congregational Church in her hometown of Battle Creek. Dolly often said that Walt was the best thing that ever happened to her.
Dolly was devoted to her husband and children. She served as room mother, den mother and troop leader, talent show organizer, tutu seamstress, and more. While a busy homemaker, Dolly started night-school at Montgomery College in Rockville, MD. In 1981, with her husband, children, and parents in attendance, she graduated with honors with a B.A. in History Education from Hood College in Frederick, MD, and went on to be a Social Studies teacher for Frederick County Public Schools for many years, first at New Market Middle School, and then at Thomas Johnson Middle School. She was beloved by her students for her enthusiasm and creativity. She led two groups of students overseas to Belgium, the Netherlands, England, France, Germany, Italy, and, notably, to the U.S.S.R., as part of Glasnost, in 1989, two years before the fall of the Soviet Union..
Dolly’s second career was as an author. Her passion for writing and journalism was kindled in high school when she was the editor of the award-winning newspaper, The Key. After moving to West Virginia, she authored a column in the local newspaper, using the pen name “Dolly Nasby.” She produced (also under her nom de plume) seven pictorial history books as part of Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” and “Then and Now” series (one for Charles Town, WV; one for Shepherdstown, WV; two on Harpers Ferry, WV; two on Gettysburg, PA; and one on African American history in Jefferson County, published anonymously). A highlight of this experience for Dolly was participating in several book-signing events alongside Nora Roberts.
Because of her interest in history, Dolly felt it was only appropriate to retire to Harpers Ferry, WV. In 1997, Dolly and Walt followed the country roads from Damascus, MD, where they had reared their children, to their new home in wild and wonderful West Virginia. Dolly spent her retirement years traveling around the U.S. and overseas, by plane, train, automobile, cruise ship,
or camper, sometimes with and sometimes without Walt. She drove all the way to Alaska and back and to Key West and back in the RV. She drove in the RV all the way from the East to West coast and back with her granddaughter. She sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and back on the elegant QUEEN ELIZABETH cruise ship. Some of Dolly and Walt’s favorite adventures together were their trips to Destin, FL; Poland; Spain; England; and Israel.
Among Dolly’s proudest achievements is that she could type 85 wpm on a manual typewriter. She was also proud that she taught herself to slalom (on Lee Lake in Battle Creek while a newlywed), that she climbed all the way to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar, that she could do a mean Time-Step with her sister Trudy, and that she learned to drive a fire truck. She was happy that all three of her children got a college diploma, had straight teeth, and visited Europe at least once. Dolly was an active member of the Red Hats. She tried her hand and various arts such as poetry, singing, piano, the accordion, painting, sewing, crocheting and knitting, basket weaving, cooking and baking, gardening, and cake decorating, just to name a few of her many talents. She loved to organize photographs; watch documentaries (particularly about World War II) and old Western movies; sit on the porch swing to watch the planes overhead and listen to the birds sing; visit with relatives; and – especially – spend time with her husband, kids, and grandkids. Dolly was the family historian, chief cook and bottle washer, and the life of the party.
She is survived by her sweetie-pie of sixty years, Walter Wojcik; daughter and son-in-law Diane and Stephen Godwin of Bel Air, MD; daughter Melissa Wojcik of San Diego, CA; son and daughter-in-law Michael and Lisa Wojcik of Dysart, IA; granddaughter Emily Godwin; grandson Stephen Godwin, Jr.; sisters-in-law Charlene Nasby and Sarah Nasby; nieces Christina, Kristen, Laura, Elle, Linda, and Janet; and nephew Richard.
In addition to her parents, she is predeceased by her sisters Trudy and Camille and her two brothers Jay and Rick.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, August 11, 2023 at Eackles-Spencer & Norton Funeral Home, 256 Halltown Road, Harpers Ferry, WV.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday, August 10, 2023 from 6-8 p.m.
Condolences may be expressed at www.eackles-spencerfuneralhome.com.