DORETHA "DOTTIE" HECTOR

DORETHA "DOTTIE" HECTOR of Baltimore, MD died June 24, 2016 at the age of 74. She was an intern for Samuel Redd at his funeral home before serving her apprenticeship with West Baltimore undertaker Arlington Phillips. She worked alongside Phillips and his wife, Elizabeth, as they converted the old Silber's Bakery into Phillips Funeral Home. After Philips died in 1979, she continued to help Elizabeth manage the firm as a licensed funeral director, and in 2011, after Elizabeth passed, she became sole owner. She earned a degree in mortuary science in the mid-1970s at the Community College of Baltimore County. Dottie co-founded the 100 Black Women of Funeral Service in 1993 and served as the organization's national president for 20 years. She had been president of Alpha Beta-Baltimore Chapter of Epsilon Nu Delta Mortuary Fraternity for 18 years.
She was a West Baltimore mortician who represented Maryland on matters of policy as a member of the National Funeral Directors Association. She was president of the Maryland State Funeral Directors Association from 2002 to 2003, trustee of the Funeral Service Foundation from 2001 to 2003 and was also a member of the National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association and the International Cemetery, Crematory and Funeral Association.