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Dorothy Pearson Jensen

Dorothy Pearson Jensen, 86, of Farmington, previously of Old Saybrook, died after a long illness on Nov. 5, with her family by her side. Born on December 18, 1935, in Meriden, Dorothy was the daughter of the late Edwin and Ellen (Fohlin) Pearson.

Dorothy was predeceased by her husband of over 55 years, Kristian Jensen, Jr. She leaves her children, Deborah and Jeffrey Steinberg; Kristian, III and Nancy Jensen; and Keith and Elizabeth Jensen; her grandchildren, Louis and Whitney Steinberg, Sarah, Alexander, Bessie, and Tate Steinberg, Kelly and Susan Jensen, Erik and Jillian Jensen, Kianna and Samuel Bromley, and Owen and Erin Jensen. Dorothy was “Gregre” to seven great-grandchildren, Leah and Meshach Steinberg, Lily and Wallace Jensen, and Zoë, Ozlo, and Azalea Bromley. Dorothy also leaves her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Beverly and G. Barry “Skip” Blakely, and many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by her two sisters and their husbands, Lois and Charles “Chick” Hall, and Carolyn and Gordon Nelson, and her sister-in-law, Barbara Jensen.

Dorothy loved the beach – anywhere – but especially the Connecticut shore. She spent her childhood summers on one of the Thimble Islands. The Pearson cottage on Money Island was a favorite place for Dorothy and her sisters and all their families.

Dorothy grew up in Meriden and attended Hillyer College, earning an associate degree as a medical secretary. She met Kris at Hillyer – now part of University of Hartford, married in 1956, and when Kris was drafted, spent some of 1957, and most of 1958, in army housing and then Germany where Kris was stationed.

Dorothy and Kris lived in West Hartford and Plainville before moving to Old Saybrook, finally realizing their (mostly Dorothy’s) dream of living near the shore. Dorothy enjoyed walks on the sandbars at low tide and loved when sunset and low tide dovetailed. She would watch the skies for promising-looking sunsets from her kitchen windows and meet friends and family at Town Beach to sit with a glass of wine and watch the colors.

Dorothy was a member of Augustana Lutheran Church in Meriden and was married there, then attended Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Newington with Kris and his family. After moving to Old Saybrook, they were members of St. Paul Lutheran Church. All Dorothy’s churches were a large part of her life. She taught Sunday School, was involved in many fellowship and outreach activities, brought communion to homebound members, and was involved in St. Paul’s Homework Club, among many other tasks.

Dorothy loved to play and watch tennis. She played with a group in Old Saybrook until she was over 80 years old and enjoyed every moment.

Dorothy was a very organized person, which, along with her schooling, gave her the ability to be a great executive secretary for the Connecticut Historical Society, the Lutheran Service Association in Hartford, and Growth Resources (GRACE) in New Britain.

Dorothy was blessed with wonderful caregivers and her family would like to thank her core companions, Grace, Maureen, Princess, and Charity, along with rest of the people at Happy Homecare, all the staff at the Compass Memory Support Neighborhood at Farmington Station where Dorothy lived for the last four years, and the nurses and staff at AccentCare for the Hospice care that she received since 2020.

A memorial service was Nov. 12, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 56 Great Hammock Rd., Old Saybrook. The Duksa Family Funeral Homes at Newington Memorial, 20 Bonair Avenue, Newington, has charge of the arrangements. Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 1655 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Lutheran Disaster Response of the ELCA, or a charity of your choosing. To share a memory with Dorothy’s family, please visit us at www.duksa.net.