Dorothy H. Killackey

Dorothy H. Killackey was born in Pittsburgh, PA and earned a BA Degree in Psychology from Barnard College, Columbia University (Cum Laude). While raising her four children, she continued her education and was awarded an MS Degree in Education and later a 6th Year Professional Degree in Adult Education from Western Connecticut University (Cum Laude). She also was certified as a Child Developmental Examiner by Yale University.

As an elementary teacher, she taught in all the elementary grades for twenty-five years. Because of the educational relevancy of her Masters’ Degree Thesis, she was invited to conduct two teachers’ workshops for the New York State Teachers in 1975 and 1976. She was the Teachers’ Union President of her building and on the Board of Directors at St. Lawrence O’Toole Parochial School (1974-76). She was a writer, lecturer, teacher to parents, teachers and Professional Groups from 1972-82. In 1982 she published “Secrets of Learning”, a newsletter for Grolier Publishers Encyclopedias. Twice she was awarded “Teacher of the Year”, 1974 and 1989 by her school district.

After retiring from teaching, while following a fifteen year career in real estate, she actively wrote Old-Timers’ Biographies for the Putnam County Office for the Aging, was a member of the Childrens’ Committee, funded a writing contest for 7th and 8th graders at St. Lawrence O’Toole School, and established a Killackey Scholarship for a graduating senior at Brewster High School. She was awarded “Senior Citizen of the Year 1999” by the Putnam County Office for the Aging, and in 2008 was honored with “A Certificate of Achievement” as the senior giving the highest number of volunteer hours.

Dorothy served as president for four years for the honorary international teachers’ society, Delta Kappa Gamma local chapter, and she wrote and edited their newsletter, “The Greek Gazette” from1999-2007. In 2002 she became coordinator of the newly formed SeniorNet Computer Program at The William Koehler Senior Center in Mahopac.

She has been on the RSVP Putnam County Senior Citizens Advisory Board since 2003 and has been piano accompanist for the RSVP Dancer/Singers group that visits local nursing homes each week since 2003. For the last two years, Dorothy has been writing her “Musings” column for The Putnam Press/ Putnam County Times.