Dorothea Ruth (Clinton) Libby

Dorothea Ruth Whipp Libby (Doris) was born to Charles Clinton Whipp and Elisabeth Antonie Schneider Whipp on October 3, 1963, in Munich, Germany. She was born when her father was working in Germany. When they came back from Germany they settled in Prince George’s County, MD. In 1964, the family moved into a home on Crandall Road in Lanham, MD. When she got married, Doris also raised her family in that home. In 1998, the family home was sold and her family along with her mother moved to Crofton, MD. In 2017, Doris, her husband David and their son Michael purchased their forever home in St. Leonard, MD, which allowed them to be closer to the extended family. Doris attended elementary school at James McHenry in Lanham, MD, then middle school at Thomas Johnson, also in Lanham, MD and then graduated from Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Greenbelt, MD in 1981. She attended PG Community College, where she first studied Nursing before eventually switching to Hospitality Management. Although she fell two classes short of her degree, Doris valued education and encouraged those without degrees to get technical certifications and other training so that they could provide a good life for their themselves and their families. She took great pride in seeing her children, nieces and nephews achieve these milestones.

Doris met the love of her life, David on a blind date. They went to see Cinderella at the movies with David’s cousin Kelly and her little sister Kathy. They fell in love and were married in Colorado Springs at Fort Carson Chapel on August 5, 1983. They had a family wedding and reception on October 27, 1984, in Lanham, MD at the family church, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ with Rev. Richard Levitt officiating. Doris would always say, “getting two anniversaries gave her and David two nights out a year.” From this union came her true joy and love of having children, they were blessed with the birth of their son, Michael (1986) first and then their loving family was further blessed with the addition of two daughters, Julia (1997) and Rebecca (1999). They were both adopted from the same orphanage in Kondopoga, Russia – where both David and Doris went to Russia personally as part of the adoption process. Doris worked at the family business, County Fast Printing in Capitol Heights, MD for most of her life. Doris and her sister Barbara inherited it in 2001, after the passing of their mother. Doris enjoyed the work that she did. She began at an early age setting type and running the letterpress and then eventually moving to the front office. Her mother would sometimes say, “Doris could sell just about anything.” As technology evolved, Doris embraced technology and became an expert in graphics design starting out by leveraging Apple technology. With her sister Barbara, they evolved the business to meet the changing market conditions and sold thousands of masks during the COVID pandemic on the ETSY platform. She also used her talents to help the family and others in need of support to do their taxes and to run the condo association for the business park where the print shop is located. She would be the welcome committee of the new owners and tenants and was always sought out for her advice and council on local business matters. Doris also served on the Quick Printing Trade Board for several years in the 1990’s.

Dorothea’s favorite pastime was bringing family together in Chincoteague, VA, where she and David owned a second home. She loved the area, and as a child would camp with her family at the Pine Grove Campground. She could often be found early in the morning, going down to the pier at the end of the road with her string, chicken necks, and net, hoping to catch some crabs for lunch. She took great pride in bringing them back, steaming them and sharing them with the family. Doris and David started out in a tent, and she was very excited when they were able to upgrade to a camper. However, one of her most treasured moments was when they were able to buy a home simply known as “the beach house” located in Eastwinds off of Church Street, which helped create so many cherished memories for the family. There were days on the beach, the annual Fireman’s carnival, and eating fresh seafood from the fishing boats docked down the street. She also enjoyed going up to Pocomoke City to buy her kids and nieces their homecoming or prom dresses. The more the merrier for her, with at times as many as 16 people under roof, cooking a big breakfast with pancakes (with a splash of vanilla), eggs, scrapple and biscuits… these were her happy times…. Going to the beach with her toes in the sand, in the water with the kids or standing at the water’s edge watching over her family. You could catch her with a gigantic smile, laughing and playing. In between, you could find her having conversations with the family to make sure everyone was good and she had the latest on everyone.

Doris’s favorite holiday was Christmas and all the traditions of the family. From the manger set to the real Christmas tree, to going to the German market to get Lebkuchen cookies that she would get for all the family. She would make her Parker House rolls and Bavarian Chocolate Cream Cake that she would put a little “extra” rum for the rum soaked ladies fingers because she thought “what the heck” its Christmas. This was always funny because Doris was not a big drinker, one white Russian or a glass of wine, a few times a year was her limit. She would sing her favorite Christmas song, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” by Bing Crosby year-round often changing the words to, “I’m Dreaming of a White Sandy Beach.” She would host annual Christmas Craft decorating parties with her children, nieces and nephews and as time went on her grandkids, great-nieces and nephews. Doris loved being surrounded by family. The bigger the get together the better. Doris loved to travel and explore the world. She would always grab the travel section of the Washington Post every Sunday, talking and dreaming of the places she wanted to visit. She traveled solo at 16 by bus cross-country staying in youth hostels. Doris enjoyed her trips to Russia during the adoption process of her girls. She loved that she could learn and see about the area they came from. Her favorite trips were the family cruises that the family took on Royal Caribbean to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Doris leaves to cherish her memory her husband, David, one son, Michael (Amber), two daughters, Rebecca and Julia, and three grandchildren, Tyler, Nicholas and Alana. She was very excited that Michael and Amber are expecting their first child in October. She is also survived by two sisters, Barbara Whipp (Jimmy) and Catherine Kuenzel (David), nieces and nephews, Lisa and John Richman (Marie Torillo), Catherine Page (Jesse), Stephanie Mitchell-McCraney (Kyle), Stefan Mitchell (Brandi), Olivia and Sophia Kuenzel, as well as a host of extended family and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Elisabeth, her sister, Elisabeth Ann Mitchell and her oldest niece Jennifer Marie Richman. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dorothea Ruth (Clinton) Libby, please visit our floral store.