Dorothy Kirk Noël

Age 96. Born September 12, 1922, Mount Carmel Hospital, Columbus OH. She passed away March 4, 2019, in Silver Spring MD.  A private Funeral Mass, with family, was held Friday, March 8, 2019. A separate celebration of life is being planned for summer 2019.

Dorothy was the daughter of Harry J. Kirk and Kathryn Schindler Kirk of Defiance OH. Born the fifth of seven children, six girls and one boy. Dorothy grew up in Defiance OH until the age of eight.  In June 1931 her father bought a used Willys Knight Touring car and moved his wife and seven children to Washington D.C.

Two of her sisters were members of the Carmelite Monastery. Sister Kathleen Kirk of the Holy Family with the Carmelite Monastery in Towson MD and Sister Teresa of the Immaculate Heart of Mary at the Carmelite Monastery North Philadelphia PA.  Her only brother was the Rev. Daniel Kirk of the order of St. Benedict at Saint Anselm’s Abbey in Washington. D.C.

On Oct. 15, 1949 Dorothy married Joseph Laurence Noël Jr. at St. Anthony’s Church, in Washington D.C and not long after settled in Greenbelt, MD with their growing family. She was the mother of eight children and was married for nearly 50 years to her husband until his death on October 10, 1999. Dorothy met her husband at the Officer’s Club in Bethesda MD. He was also a long time Washington area race official and member of the DCRRC.  Dorothy experienced the life of a runner's widow on many weekends.  

Dorothy was glad when once a summer her husband would take some of the kids camping for a week and she could enjoy some quiet with only a couple of youngsters left to care for. When the family was younger they would take summer vacations at the MD or DE shore or road trips with the whole gang piled into the station wagon for a day trip. What seat belts? She always had dinner on the table for her family of ten and many stories abound about those evenings. The dishes were assigned to the one that acted up – a sure way to keep the peace. Mornings were hectic with eight kids in school but breakfast and lunches were made before heading off to their respective schools. 

She always had homemade cookies in a jar on the counter. These later became known as Grandma’s cookies with the grandchildren. Nobody made them like her.

Dorothy was a graduate of Dunbarton College, Wash. D.C. with teaching credentials from Wilson Teachers College. She was a primary school teacher at the Brookland Elementary School for two years before her first child was born.

Dorothy was a regular at the Greenbelt Swimming pool. She was a life long swimmer until age 94.  She could be seen almost daily at the Greenbelt Pool. She continued this aquatic discipline at Riderwood village when she moved there in 2004.

In 1987 she moved with her husband Larry Noël to Emmitsburg MD. Where many happy times were enjoyed  with her 16 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

A devout Catholic her whole life, she was a eucharistic minister, and active in the Cana Club at St. Hugh’s parish in Greenbelt and active in prayer groups in St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Emmitsburg MD., and later years at Resurrection parish in Burtonsville MD.

She is predisposed by her parents Harry J. Kirk and Kathryn Schindler Kirk of Defiance OH, her husband J. Laurence Noël, Jr. of Greenbelt MD. and Siblings, Sister Kathleen Kirk of the Carmelite Community in Towson MD, Lucille (Joseph I.) Woods of Oak Park IL. Kathleen (Jack) Wright of Silver Spring, MD,  Rev. Daniel Kirk of the order of St. Benedict at Saint Anselm’s Abbey in Washington D.C., Sister Teresa of the Carmelite Monastery Philadelphia PA, Gertrude (Bernard) Meehan of Silver Spring MD.

Her eight children, J. Laurence Noël III (Patti), Gettysburg, PA, Margaret Mary Black,  (James) Olney MD, Michael J. Noël, (Susette) Petaluma CA., William F. Noël (Merl), Kilmarnock VA, Harry K. Noël, (Nancy) Marlton NJ, John A. Noël, (Teace) Shepherdstown WV, Thomas Noël, Greenbelt MD and Rita M. Noël, Silver Spring MD.

Memorial Contributions can be made to St. Anselm’s Abbey 4501 South Dakota Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20017; or Carmelite Monastery Baltimore at 1318 Dulaney Valley Rd, Towson, MD 21286; or Carmelite Monastery Philadelphia at 1400 66th Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19126.