November 5, 2026, at 9:20 AM our beautiful mother took her last earthly breath and exhaled into eternal life.

Doris Virginia Little-Dawkins was born July 24,1937, in Marshville, NC. She graduated from Rockingham High School in 1955 and married Pearson Hill Dawkins, Jr., on October 30, 1955. This was when the ride of a lifetime began for our mother, one that would last more than 71 years.

Writing about my mom is different than writing about our dad when he passed, as he was as so social. But our mom? She was a quiet force to be reckoned with. She was his rock and the foundation of our family. She was not one to seek the spotlight.

To speak of our mom…

She could put on a spread of food that we would feed us for weeks (literally!). She loved to entertain, which fit perfectly with our dad. Together, they hosted many of parties, from Elks events to feeding everyone after the alumni parade, hosting gatherings at the annual Rockingham fireworks display, celebrating birthdays, and hosting fish fries at their home on Oak Island with all the fixings. And everyone was invited, whether you received an invitation personally or you were a friend of a friend of a friend. That’s who she was, especially alongside our dad.

Staying along the lines of cooking, she loved making jelly and preserves. She made sure we all had an ample supply of muscadine jelly, pear preserves and fig preserves. These were guaranteed Christmas presents!

One of their biggest adventures was moving our entire family to Vermont in 1969, where they lived until 2003, when they relocated to Oak Island, NC.

She was a stellar gardener and left many of us envious of her gardens. She could take a dying plant and revive it into a beautiful thriving one. She loved gardening and she had large gardens. And with big gardens came plenty of weeding! We are sure each of the grandchildren can attest that they did their fair share of picking weeds.

Most of our stories about mom involved dad, but that was how they were. One was rarely without the other. She was his rock. She also had a knack for remembering names, which served our dad well because he didn’t! Even more impressive, she could recall where they had met people, what the event was, what everyone wore, and who else had been there. She would feed him the information before people approached so he could always address them by name.

In her earlier years, our mom could drive a boat better than most, pulling 5-man pyramids, with our dad being one of the skiers. She and our dad loved the water. After many years in VT, then relocating to Oak Island, NC, she continued to enjoy being in the water, walking for miles along the beach. We believe she collected every seashell that washed ashore! Though her love for the ocean was great, she returned to gardening. She and our dad operated a lawn care business on the island well into her early 80s, driving zero-turn mowers, weed whacking, and mulching for many friends on the island.

Another favorite pastime was playing cards. We think she counted cards! She was that good… or maybe she cheated! If you ever played cards with her, you’d know!!! You could be ahead in the game, and she would come back and kick your butt. She had plenty of practice, as she and our dad played cards for as long as we can remember with our Westminster neighbors.

She loved her family fiercely! She was steadfast and helped us kids raise our children. She picked up grandchildren, made sure nobody went without, and welcomed all the neighborhood kids who played at the house and swam in the pool. She was Momma Dawkins to everyone!

Our mother was preceded in death by her husband, Pearson Hill “Red” Dawkins, Jr.; her parents: Clyde Lamar Little, Sr. and Georgia Little; her in-laws: Pearson Hill Dawkins, Sr. and Gladys Dawkins; her brother: Clyde Lamar Little, Jr. and sister-in-law, Marian; her brother-in-laws: Phil Edward “Ed” Dawkins and Kenneth Larry Dawkins; her sister-in-law: Margaret Elaine Shelton; and her great-granddaughter, Angel.

She is survived by her son, Gary Dawkins (Cathy); daughters, Virginia “Ginger” Cook (Mike) and Marsha Dawkins. Grandchildren: Ryan Dawkins (Tacy), Caroline Dawkins (Robert), Benjamin Cook (Marie), Shawn Pollard (Lindsey), Travis Cook (Kayla), and Elizabeth Smith (Daniel). Great-grandchildren: Kannon, Ember, Blaze, Nolan, Maxton, Zoe, Layla, Yasmina, Genevieve, Morgen, Travis, Marilyn, Temperance,  Kalliope, Riley and Olivia. She is also survived by her sister-in-laws: Cheryl Lampley (Wilson) and Judy Dawkins, along with many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will take place on Friday, November 13, 2026, from 5:00-6:00 PM at the Fenton and Hennessy Funeral, 55 Westminster Street, Bellows Falls, VT. A Funeral Service will take place on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 2:00 PM at the First Congregational Church of Westminster, Rt 5 in Westminster, VT.

In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care, 154 Hitchcock Loop Road, Lebanon, NH 03766.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Fenton and Hennessey Funeral Home, 55 Westminster Street, Bellows Falls, VT.