Dorothy "Dot" Rae Dudley

Dorothy “Dot” Rae Dudley, 86, of Lyndonville, passed away peacefully on March 5, 2026, in Florida with her loving family by her side.

Born on April 16, 1939, in Lyndonville to Francis and Florence (Walter) Charron, Dot lived her entire life in the town where she was raised. She graduated from Lyndon Institute with the Class of 1957 and went on to attend Lyndon Teachers College. She taught generations of children across Vermont in North Hero, Essex Center, Barton, Orleans, Sheffield, and Lyndon. A dedicated advocate for children, especially those in need, she was an active member of the National Education Association, the Vermont Education Association, and local teachers’ associations.

Dot is survived by her son Derek (Alexis) Dudley of Hernando, Florida; her siblings Robert (Sylvia) Charron of Trumbull, Connecticut, Lois Charron of Craftsbury, Vermont, Rodney (Joanne) Charron of Montpelier, Vermont, Mary (Benedict) Farino of Bellows Falls, Vermont, and Janet Charron of Lyndonville, Vermont; and her grandchildren Harrison (Ashley) Dudley and Maia Dudley and her partner Stephen, along with several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, Florence and Francis Charron, her grandparents Ellen (Grammy Ellen) Fogg and Dale Walter, her brothers Dale Charron, Richard Charron who died at age five, an infant brother Richard, and her sister Marilyn Weigel.

She will be remembered as a devoted and loving mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt. Deeply rooted in her Lyndonville community, Dot was known by nearly everyone in town. She served as Director of Powers Park, as Past-President of the Village Improvement Society, and was elected to the local school board. A woman of great faith, she was a longtime member of the First Congregational Church of Lyndonville, where she served on the Board of Deacons, the Prudential Board, and the Board of Christian Education, working closely with the junior and senior youth groups. She faced serious illness with courage after becoming the first person diagnosed with COVID at NVRH, and her story helped raise thousands of dollars for the hospital’s fundraising campaign.