Dorothy McIntosh

Dorothy Ruth McIntosh lived a long life, and died peacefully on March 25, 2019. She was born in Buffalo New York on July 30, 1925. She was raised and educated in Buffalo. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education at Buffalo State Teacher’s College, and then taught Kindergarten. She married Robert McIntosh, a WW2 pilot and aspiring physician and continued teaching while he completed medical school. She received her Master’s Degree from the University of Buffalo in the same ceremony where Robert received his Medical Doctor (M.D.). She was quite competitive, getting her master’s when that was atypical for women. She told her children that she was very annoyed that her husband Robert had a nicer velvet hood on his graduation robes for the ceremony because he got a Doctorate and she got a Master’s degree. She left teaching to raise her three daughters, and moved reluctantly to California with the condition that she could visit Buffalo whenever she desired.
Dorothy was her own woman. She had definite opinions on almost every topic. She was a devoted animal rescuer before it was popular. She fed multiple stray neighborhood cats after paying to have them all spayed and neutered. She allowed the kitties to lounge poolside on her patio furniture. She adored her rescue dogs, and encouraged her daughters to adopt stray puppies and kittens. She could be very complicated, and you definitely wanted to avoid getting on her bad side. She was a world traveler, an avid reader, a fabulous cook and a frequent hostess. She was fiercely intelligent, easily wounded, loyal, witty and in charge of all family activities. She taught her daughters to be independent, open minded and accepting of differences in people.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her brother Roger Jonrowe and her husband Robert McIntosh M.D. She is survived by her daughters Kimberley Joseph, Ellyn McIntosh M.D. and Marcy McIntosh M.D., granddaughter Jessica Glavin, nieces Hillery Dorris and Jennifer Cumbo, nephew George McIntosh PH.D, grandniece Katherine McIntosh, and grandnephews Roger and Evan Dorris. She will be buried privately by her family.