Rev. Dorothy M. Field
Rev. Dorothy M. Field of Philadelphia, a former longtime resident of Swarthmore, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2021, at the age of 96.
Rev. Field was the daughter of Walter Maslin and Dorothy (Hepworth) Maslin, along with her brother, Charles, she grew up in the village of Port Chester, New York. She received a scholarship to New Jersey College for Women (Rutgers University, now Douglass College), where she majored in history and minored in political science. She participated in clubs and activities, as well as singing in her church’s choir. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year and graduated with high honors.
After she and her family moved to Swarthmore, she began teaching at the Swarthmore Friends Nursery School. She then taught first grade in the Ridley Township School District. She received a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Pennsylvania and was elected to Pi Lambda Theta. After receiving her master’s, she taught preschool at the Swarthmore Presbyterian Day School, and then kindergarten in the Springfield school district—for a total of 13 years.
Rev. Field then retired from teaching to concentrate on community and church activities. She became director of the adult program at the YWCA in Chester and was inducted into the Douglass Society (which recognizes distinguished alumni). She then enrolled in the Drew University’s theological school, graduating magna cum laude in 1982. She was ordained as a pastor of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in 1984. She served as pastor of Packard Memorial UMC and of Kedron UMC, as vice president of resident services at Cornwall Manor, and as pastor of Chestnut Street UMC and Ranshaw UMC. She then served as director of the Shamokin Area Ministry. On the recommendation of U.S. Representative Bob Edgar, she once led the opening prayer at the U.S. House of Representatives. She retired from active ministry in 1992 but continued to serve part-time as a supply pastor; her final assignment was at Crozerville UMC, where she served until the age of 85.
Throughout her life, Rev. Field was active in the church at several levels: she served on many commissions and boards, including the board of Christian Social Concerns of the Methodist Church, the board of Church and Society, the Commission on the Role and Status of Women, the Commission on Religion and Race, the Commission on Communications, the Chaplaincy Commission, and the board of Ordained Ministry; she was also a member of the Women’s Society of the United Methodist Church.
Her community involvement over the years included the Women’s Club, the Public Library Board, the Phi Beta Kappa Association, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the League of Women Voters, the Kiwanis Club of Chester, the Lions Club of Swarthmore, the Swarthmore Senior Citizens Association, and SeniorCare Cooperative. In recognition of her extensive community and church involvement, she has been listed in four different Who’s Who volumes: Religion, American Women, America and World.
Rev. Field is survived by her daughters, Nancy Field of Philadelphia and Susan Nelson of Bath (Moore Township), Pennsylvania; son Jeffrey Field of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; granddaughter Angela Field of Alameda, California; brother Charles Maslin (Joann) of Williamsburg, Virginia; and four nephews and a niece. She was predeceased by another son, Michael Field.
At the request of the family a Celebration of Life service was held at Simpson House, Philadelphia.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Simpson House Benevolent Fund, 2101 Belmont Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19131.