Dorothy McKeown Schuit, 97, of Black Mountain, passed away January 7, 2021 at Brookdale Senior Living in Asheville.
Dorothy was born March 16, 1923 in Paterson, NJ to the late Albert McKeown and Margaret McGuire McKeown. In 1977, she and her husband, Henry, moved to Black Mountain.
Dorothy was the daughter of Irish immigrant parents who made their way separately to New Jersey. They were under the sponsorship of brothers, uncles and aunts who had already established themselves in America. Dorothy’s father became a tile contractor and later the plant engineer at Paterson General Hospital. Dorothy’s mother was employed at the world renown silk mills in Paterson. Dorothy’s parents married, bought a home and started a family. To her parents, this was the realization of the American Dream.
After graduating from high school, Dorothy worked for the Wright Paterson Manufacturing Company which built airplanes during WWII. After she married her husband, Henry Schuit, she became a homemaker. She and Henry raised 6 children in Wyckoff, NJ. Henry taught Industrial Arts at Hawthorne High School and then became a mechanical engineer at Inmont Corporation in NJ.
Dorothy enjoyed her home in Black Mountain which she and Henry built. Dorothy was a fabulous decorator using period antiques and artistic renditions throughout their home. She enjoyed her membership in the Black Mt. Women’s Club and was a volunteer for several years at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Asheville.
Dorothy returned to her ancestral home in Northern Ireland in 1980 and had a grand reunion with her Irish family and friends as they shared stories and laughter.
Both Dorothy and Henry had a deep faith in God. Dorothy was raised in the Madison Ave Baptist Church in Paterson, NJ. After she and Henry were married they were members of the Hawthorne Gospel Church in New Jersey. Most recently they were members of the Montreat Presbyterian Church in North Carolina.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Henry Everett Schuit.
Dorothy is survived by her children, Gordon Henry Schuit of Lancaster Co, PA, Barbara Schuit Massey of Black Mountain, Rodger David Schuit of Black Mountain, Sandra Joan Schuit of Travelers Rest, SC, Kathleen Schuit Brooks of Travelers Rest, SC, and Colleen Schuit Zeigler of Travelers Rest, SC; twelve grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
A private graveside service will be held at Mountain View Memorial Park.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to the staff at Brookdale Senior Living in Asheville and Four Seasons Hospice for caring for Dorothy in her last days.