Dorothy Cook McCall

Virginia Beach – Dorothy Cook McCall, was born December 14, 1920, in Washington, D.C., daughter of Corda Prewett and Arthur Edward Cook. Her late father was Assistant to the Secretary of Labor in the Coolidge and Hoover administrations and later in private practice was widely known as an authority on immigration and citizenship laws. He oversaw Dorothy’s musical education, and had a pipe organ built and installed in their home in D.C. At age 13, Dorothy became the youngest person elected to the D.C. Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Her own passion was vocal performance and throughout her life she was an active soloist, musical director, member of numerous choral groups, and a Past President and Life member of the Scherzo Music Club and Virginia Federation of Music Clubs. She directed the choir and was active at Knox Presbyterian and maintained her membership at Calvin Presbyterian Church. Dorothy also was the music director at Westminster Canterbury Chapel before retiring.

Married for 53 years to Capt. Charles D. “Mac” McCall, USN, RET, she met her husband while he was enrolled at the US Naval Academy and they married during World War II. With Mac deployed to the Pacific, Dorothy worked for Civil Service supporting distinguished leaders including James J. Davis (US Senator), architect Wallace Harrison (Rockefeller Center), and Nelson Rockefeller (in the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs). During her wartime tenure, she interacted with notables including Walt Disney, who was coordinating film projects promoting positive relations with Latin America. In 1945, while relocating Rockefeller’s offices to New York, she celebrated V-J Day in Times Square.

The Navy kept the McCalls in Norfolk for the majority of Mac’s post-war career. In 1965, Dorothy initiated a grand adventure while her husband was deployed in the Mediterranean. She took their three teenagers out of school, flew to Germany, and spent the year traveling Europe in a VW, meeting Mac at his various ports.

She is survived by her children Charles McCall (Cindy) of Brookfield WS, Fred McCall of Virginia Beach, and Corda “Koko” McCall (Tom McEwen) of Birmingham, AL; grandchildren Corinne McCall Hulse (Barrett), Will McEwen (Jennifer), Corda “Cory” McEwen Robinson (Greg), Sally McEwen Stewart (Robb), Chris McCall (Beth), and Casey McCall; great-grandchildren Brayden and Isabel Hulse, Madison and Harper McEwen, and Max Robinson. The family is especially grateful to Joyce Osberg, Wennie Furca, and Debbie Glaze for the extraordinary care they provided in recent years.

A memorial service will be held at Westminster Canterbury at 10:30 a.m. on August 26. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Scherzo Scholarship Fund (c/o Sylvia Maume, 3100 Shore Dr. #520, Virginia Beach, VA 23451).