Dorothy Ethel Dautel Finger

Dorothy Ethel Dautel Finger passed peacefully from this life on September 17th, 2025 in Daleville Virginia at the age of 91. The daughter of Ethel and George Dautel, she was born in New York City and grew up in Astoria, Queens before attending Flushing Hospital Nursing School. She loved being a nurse, working in the Danbury Connecticut Hospital ICU, Potomac Hospital in Woodbridge, Virginia before finishing her career as the Nursing Supervisor in the Alexandria Hospital Emergency Department. She was proud of being a nurse, and in her later years she made sure at every doctor’s appointment they knew she was a nurse- and not just a nurse, but an RN.

She married her husband and lifelong partner Richard on December 19th, 1959 and had 3 children, Richard Jr, Diane (Foley) and Robert. She was preceded in death by her parents and beloved brother George and is survived by her husband, three children, daughter in-law Lisa, grandchildren, Ben (Jordan), Charlotte, Brady, Tim (Tiffany) and Josh and great grandchildren, Bowen, Mason, Noelle, and Dylan.

Dorothy & Richard raised their family in Lake Ridge in Woodbridge, VA. Once the children grew up and started their own lives, they planned their retirement.

She and Richard spent the majority of their retirement years at Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta, VA. She remained busy in retirement, going to the gym at 5am, 3x a week, was President of the Newcomer’s Club, volunteered at Medical Fairs in the community and at the local Library, was a regular at the local dinner theatre and played various card games with “The Girls at the Lake”.

Before this last year, Dorothy, or Dot as her friends called her, lived a full life. She was very close to her parents and brother, and took great care of her mother until she passed at the age of 93. She loved taking care of her family and was able to see her extended family one last time for her 90th birthday last year and had a great time

It’s hard to summarize almost a century of such a full life, but she left behind a lot of memories- and a lot of pictures to help her family remember all the wonderful times. She will be terribly missed!

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 22, 2025, at Southwest Veterans Cemetery with the Rev. Philip A. Bouknight officiating.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Bedford, is assisting the family.