1959
John
2019
John H. Dorenkamp
February 16, 1959 — March 26, 2019
John Dorenkamp died March 26, 2019 after a sudden illness.
He was a gentle man with a fierce spirit. The son of Angela and John Dorenkamp (both deceased), John attended the Mercy School in Worcester and worked for many years in a Seven Hills sheltered workshop. Those who attended Assumption College might also remember him as the "dishwasher who made the fire drill sound." John was a resident of the Harrington Way Group Home for eighteen years but spent the last decade living with a home care provider who became his best friend, Abraham Gray.
John was assured a life of dignity by the dedicated staff of the Department of Social Services, by Nonotuck Resource Associates, and by the Alternatives Day Habilitation Program. The good people who sponsor dances for the disabled at the KasBar (and formerly at Sh-Boom's) brought him joy. He touched the hearts of many with his big smiles and bigger hugs. His family especially wishes to thank the line-cooks at IHop in Shrewsbury—they knew John's name and John knew theirs—and the wait staff of both the Broadway and Goldstar Diner. People like these, who immediately recognized John's goodness and innocence, made him feel special. And he was. John lost his youngest sibling, Monica, in 2018.
He is survived by Monica's partner, Margarita Reyes, by his older sister Erica and her partner Gretchen Neeley, by his younger brother Tom and his partner Kathleen Haggerty, by his step-mother Helen Whall, and by his nieces Harriet and Maud Neeley. They would like to thank the doctors and nurses of St. Vincent's Critical Care for their compassion and the extended Gray family for their unwavering love.
Visiting Hours will be held on Sunday, March 31st from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at Callahan, Fay & Caswell Funeral Home, 61 Myrtle Street, Worcester. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to Alternatives (286 Lincoln Street, Worcester) or to the Worcester Animal Rescue League (139 Holden St., Worcester) where John volunteered on Fridays. A Memorial Celebration is being scheduled for late spring.
He was a gentle man with a fierce spirit. The son of Angela and John Dorenkamp (both deceased), John attended the Mercy School in Worcester and worked for many years in a Seven Hills sheltered workshop. Those who attended Assumption College might also remember him as the "dishwasher who made the fire drill sound." John was a resident of the Harrington Way Group Home for eighteen years but spent the last decade living with a home care provider who became his best friend, Abraham Gray.
John was assured a life of dignity by the dedicated staff of the Department of Social Services, by Nonotuck Resource Associates, and by the Alternatives Day Habilitation Program. The good people who sponsor dances for the disabled at the KasBar (and formerly at Sh-Boom's) brought him joy. He touched the hearts of many with his big smiles and bigger hugs. His family especially wishes to thank the line-cooks at IHop in Shrewsbury—they knew John's name and John knew theirs—and the wait staff of both the Broadway and Goldstar Diner. People like these, who immediately recognized John's goodness and innocence, made him feel special. And he was. John lost his youngest sibling, Monica, in 2018.
He is survived by Monica's partner, Margarita Reyes, by his older sister Erica and her partner Gretchen Neeley, by his younger brother Tom and his partner Kathleen Haggerty, by his step-mother Helen Whall, and by his nieces Harriet and Maud Neeley. They would like to thank the doctors and nurses of St. Vincent's Critical Care for their compassion and the extended Gray family for their unwavering love.
Visiting Hours will be held on Sunday, March 31st from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at Callahan, Fay & Caswell Funeral Home, 61 Myrtle Street, Worcester. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to Alternatives (286 Lincoln Street, Worcester) or to the Worcester Animal Rescue League (139 Holden St., Worcester) where John volunteered on Fridays. A Memorial Celebration is being scheduled for late spring.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John H. Dorenkamp, please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
Past Services
Visitation
Sunday, March 31, 2019
3:00 - 5:00 pm (Eastern time)
Callahan, Fay & Caswell Funeral Home
Guestbook
Visits: 34
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