Dorothy Elizabeth Wheeler Ireland of Burlington, Vt., died on July 21, 2025, at the age of 86. She was surrounded by her loving family.
Dottie was born to Charles Eugene Wheeler and Irene Elizabeth Ferguson Wheeler in Rockaway, N.J., in 1938. She spent her childhood in Portsmouth, Va., and Rome, N.Y.
Dottie is survived by her adoring husband of 62 years, Peter M. Ireland; her four children, Arthur, Debbie, Charles and Jennifer; and her four grandchildren.
She graduated from Bellevue School of Nursing in 1961 and from the University of Vermont with a BA in nursing in 1983. She received a degree in hotel management from Cornell University in 1990, and she challenged herself to continue learning throughout her life.
Dottie was a night nurse for almost 50 years. She also bought and ran a Vermont inn with Peter. She found happiness in caring for others through food and nursing, as well as in designing and making clothes and collecting cloth for quilting. She loved Irish music, and she enjoyed traveling to Florida in her camper van.
Dottie lived a good life and is now at peace.
This article appears in The Connections Issue.