Dorothy May Pennix

Dorothy May (Ford) Pennix was born on February 27, 1935, in Prospect, VA to Norman T. and Mary L. Ford, and departed this life on Monday September 7th, 2026, at Complete Care at Woodlands in Plainfield, NJ. Dorothy affectionately known as “Dot” married James H. Pennix on December 12, 1957, in Newark NJ where they lived and raised their 3 sons James E., Michael and Norman E. Pennix. Dot moved to Newark, NJ in 1957 where she worked briefly at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair. She would later work as a domestic, eventually settling as a homemaker and childcare provider in her home Weequahic Avenue until 2002. During her early years in New Jersey, Dot became a graduate of Wilford Beauty Academy earning her cosmetology license and was the family stylist for many years. She will be fondly remembered for countless things by her family such as traveling with her sisters on their many cruises, and her fried chicken and macaroni salad which she always prepared for road trips to Virginia and to the Assemblies for Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are also her infamous rum cakes and her love of toasted almonds. As a childcare provider for many children including her nieces, nephews, and grandchildren she was known as “Aunt Dot”. During this time, Aunt Dot served as an unofficial Pre-K teacher ensuring these children entered Kindergarten knowing their alphabet and numbers. For those children in the family she babysat, Aunt Dot’s long daily conversations with her sister Rosa Lee, as they watch The Young and the Restless, As the World Turns and The Guiding Light, and her never ending supply of Pathmark grape and orange sodas will never be forgotten. With the invention of call waiting and caller ID, the phrase “Hold on Ro-Lee, that’s: Betty, Rachel, Glois, or Li-an calling”, spoken during those calls is deeply embedded in the brain. Dot was a devoted Jehovah Witness and could often be found on the road spreading the word with her sister Rosa Lee, in Newark. She spent her later years in Edison, where she developed relationships with various people at the Kingdom Hall on Central Avenue in Metuchen. Dot is predeceased by her parents Norman and Mary Ford, husband James H. Pennix, her son James E. Pennix, siblings Lillian Walker, Gloria Morton, Rosa Lee Dungee, and Rachel Baker. She was a devoted grandmother to Atiyya, Myrissa, Victoria, Maya, Denasha and Alisha along with 5 great grandchildren. She leaves behind her sons Michael J.(Andrene) of Edison, NJ and Norman E. (Demmie) Pennix of Richmond, VA as well as her sister Betty Watkins of Virginia Beach, VA, her brother William Ford of Baltimore, MD and a host of nieces and nephews.