August 25, 2004 – Dorothy "Dolly" Durand (nee Carson) passed away peacefully at home on Aug. 15. She was 9O years old.
She was born and raised in Urbana, Ill. Her father, Francis Thomas Carson, known to all as F.T., was A prominent small-town attorney; her mother, Mary Carson (nee Swartz) was a noted equestrienne. Dolly, who was one of five siblings, graduated from the University of Illinois in 1935 and was a lifelong member and supporter of the Pi Beta Phi sorority.
Dolly lived most of her life in Pittsburgh, Pa, where she was a vibrant part of the Pittsburgh social scene. She made lifelong friends, all of whom have died. Her husband, Elliott Durand III, was a successful civil engineer who had helped in the redevelopment of the Pittsburgh skyline. He died in 1974. When Pittsburgh's North Hills was little more than farmland, Dolly vigorously fought for the creation of hospitals, police and fire units, and improved road systems for the developing area.
After her children moved away, Dolly became a Board member of the Pittsburgh Twentieth Century Club where she served happily and contentedly until illness prevented her from continuing. Later in life, she developed symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and in October of 2OO1 she moved to St. Croix to be cared for by her son Elliott Durand IV, daughter-in-law Lorraine Durand, and the hospice staff of Continuum Care. Dolly is survived by her brother, John D. Carson of Urbana, and her daughter and son-in-law, Suzanne and Everett Ferri, of Philadelphia.
Interment will be in Urbana at a future date.