STRACHAN, Esther Dorothy (Gilardone), "Dorothy" age 96 and a longtime resident of Rockland Township, passed away on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.  She is predeceased by her husband, William James "Jim" Strachan.

Born in Reading, and raised in Fleetwood, Dorothy was a daughter of Joseph Conrad and Amanda Elsie (Moritz) Gilardone.  She was a 1940 graduate of Fleetwood High School and graduated from Reading's McCann Business School in 1941.  She earned her R.N. from Jefferson Medical College Hospital Training School for Nurses in 1946.  She worked at The George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC and did private duty nursing from 1946-1950.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Cedar Crest College in 1972, and later received her master's degree in teaching.  She worked as the school nurse for the Fleetwood Area School District from 1969 until her retirement in 1987.

Dorothy was a member of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Fleetwood.  She taught Sunday School and Bible School and was the first woman elected to church council in 1970.  She volunteered for the Visiting Nurse Association, Topton Lutheran Home, the American Red Cross, and the Fleetwood Historical Society. She was the president of the Woman's Club of Fleetwood in 1986-88. Dorothy was a contributing author to Along the Saucony, the quarterly publication of the Kutztown Historical Society from 1988 to 2005.

She is survived by her sons, Douglas J. Strachan, husband of Linda D. (Losch), Ambler, Forrest L. Strachan, husband of Faye A.(Jarrett), Fleetwood  and daughters,  Cathy L. Strachan, wife of Cyril M. Grum, Ann Arbor, MI and Betsy M. Suppes, wife of     Gregory S. Suppes, Johnstown; sister-in-laws, Tarquita (Idol) Strachan, Myrtle Beach, SC and Lula (Malatras) Strachan, Silver Spring, MD; brother- in-law Bruce C. Strachan, husband of Donna (Stevens) La Plata, MD; eight grandchildren, two great-granddaughters, four nieces and four nephews.  She is predeceased by her brother, Joseph C. Gilardone, Jr, and two brother-in-laws, Robert W. Strachan and Frank L. Strachan.

Visitation will be on Thursday, November 8th from 6-8 pm at the Mae A. Stump Funeral Home, 117 W. Main Street, Fleetwood.  Visitation on Friday, November 9th, will be at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 117 E. Arch Street, Fleetwood at 9:45 am immediately followed by the Rite of Christian Burial at 11:00 am.  Interment will be at Forest Hills Memorial Park, Reading, PA.

The family requests contributions to made to the memorial fund of Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 117 E. Arch Street, Fleetwood, PA 19522, the Fleetwood Historical Society, 100 W. Arch Street, Fleetwood, PA 19522 or Diploma Nurses Alumni Association, 1020 Locust Street, Suite 210, Philadelphia, PA 19107.