Leon S. Dorr

Ipswich – Leon S. Dorr, 99, husband of the late Evelyn R. (Sweeney) Dorr, died Sunday morning  March 8, 2020  in his home.  Born in Haverhill on  February 10, 1921  he was the son of the late Charles and Lydia (Davis) Dorr.

     Mr. Dorr and his wife raised their family of 3 children in Ipswich.  With his early retirement at 55 this left many years for he and his wife to enjoy traveling the United States in their trailer and also wintering in Florida.  They were active in square dancing and round dancing as well as bird watching.

     At 12 years of age Mr. Dorr developed an interest in electronics through his friends who were older than him.  At 14 he forged his father’s signature to get into the Civil Defense Reserves.  After high school he joined the Navy to go to radio school.  He was put on active duty working with teletype.  With his schooling he was later able to take an assignment in Panama as a  RM3C.  At the Panama Canal he worked in Neutrality Enforcement radio operations on ships traveling through the canal, 24 hours on, 48 hours off.  From Panama he traveled on ships through the Caribbean.  From there he was stationed in Galveston, Texas for gunnery school.  Mr. Dorr ended up on a new ship in charge of the radio room to the South Pacific to deliver food and supplies to other ships.  He was the radio man on the USS Gordonia when he received the message that the war was over.

     After his return to Ipswich Mr. Dorr worked at the grain mill and with J.P. McCormick & Sons.  He later got a “civilian employee” job for the Air Force stationed on Great Neck in Ipswich.  He was predeceased by his wife Evelyn on  December 19, 2016.

     Mr. Dorr is survived by his children:  Linda Boutchie of Ipswich, Ken Dorr of NY and Terri Grundy of FL, his 4 grandchildren and his 3 great-grandsons.

     He will be remembered lovingly for his never ending stories, his sense of humor and his bright wit.

     A funeral service will be held Saturday  March 14th.  at  10:00 A.M.  in the Morris Funeral Home  45 North Main Street, Ipswich.  Burial with military honors will follow in the Cowles Memorial Cemetery  29 Town Farm Road, Ipswich.  An hour of visitation will be Saturday from 9:00 A.M. until the service, family and friends are respectfully invited.  In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Mr. Dorr’s name to:  Macular Degeneration Research  c/o Bright Focus Foundation  22512 Gateway Center Drive  Clarksburg, MA  20871 .  To send a condolence to the Dorr family please go to:  MorrisFH.com .

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