Obituary: Dorothy G. Kinaci

Dorothy G. Kinaci passed away peacefully in her sleep on Aug. 14, 2020, in Ocoee, Florida. She was born on Feb. 1, 1934, in Manchester, New Hampshire, an only child to her extremely proud parents, Alexander and Evelyn Provencal.

At an early age, Dorothy decided she wanted to teach and graduated from Keene Teachers College in 1961 becoming the first college graduate in her family. Being a teacher became a part of her identity, a source of personal pride. She spent most of her career teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). In 1962, Dorothy moved with her young family to Istanbul, Turkey, where she spent the better part of 20 years teaching middle school students English at the American Academy for Girls. She was extremely loved and respected by students and colleagues, who stayed in touch with her through the following decades.

She returned to the States in 1982 and continued teaching ESL at several schools in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Teaching was such a passion that she even taught at a minimum-security facility past retirement. Upon finally putting away her red pen, she moved to California and then to Florida. For many years, she continued splitting her time visiting her daughters and family in each of these three states before settling in Florida.

Dorothy was extremely proud of her grandsons and used to joke that raising boys seemed easier than raising her three daughters. She enjoyed an easygoing relationship with each of her grandsons, engaging them in conversation whenever she could, often surprising them with unexpected commentary in order to get a rise or a laugh out of them. She attended as many of her grandson’s events as she could, never missing a performance, sporting event, school family day or graduation. She was always their biggest cheerleader.

Dorothy had a variety of interests throughout her life. She was a woman of strong faith, attending church weekly and often praying specifically to see her loved ones through challenges. As an avid reader Dorothy participated in many book groups enjoying the social side of reading with others. She was a stylish dresser, with an impressive collection of clothes, scarves, earrings and shoes, and prided herself in never having a hair out of place.

She had a wonderful sense of humor and her story-telling was second to none. Dorothy followed the evening news and worked on the daily crossword puzzles diligently. She had a real appreciation for good food, with lobster and vanilla ice-cream being among her favorites. She was a big fan of horse races, which she particularly enjoyed attending in person. She also took pleasure in following golf and tennis on TV surprising others with her knowledge about various athletes. In her younger years, she was an accomplished ballroom dancer, and throughout her life she enjoyed the arts, going to movies and plays. She especially loved musical theater.

Dorothy touched countless lives, including her students around the world. She took pride in the many life-long friendships she had maintained and was much loved and admired. She will be greatly missed by all those who were lucky enough to know her.

She is survived by her daughters, Pam Bozkurt from Florida, Suzan Kinaci and partner Steve from New Hampshire, and Filiz Crocker and husband Robert from California; her grandsons, Taylan Bozkurt from Georgia, Andrew Kinaci and his wife Smitha from Illinois, and James and Alexander Crocker from California.

Due to the current pandemic, the service will be private. Plans for an online memorial will be announced soon. Arrangements entrusted to Degusipe Funeral Home, Maitland, Florida; degusipe.com.

Donations in her name may be made to any of the following: UNICEF (https://donate.unicef.org/), FIRST BOOK (https://firstbook.org/) or to the ROOM TO READ (https://www.roomtoread.org/).