1906 - December 2, 1999
UNITY, N.H. — The Reverend Doctor Dorothy Tilden Spoerl, 93, died Thursday at Sullivan County Nursing Home.
She was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., a daughter of Joseph M. and Gertrude Bennett Tilden.
She earned a bachelor's degree from Lombard College in Galesburg, Ill., in 1927, graduating magna cum laude. She went on to receive a master of arts degree from Boston University in 1928.
In December 1929 she was ordained to the ministry at the Universalist Church in Bath, Maine, where her husband was then pastor.
She went on to receive a Ph.D. in psychology from Clark University.
From 1946 to 1957 she taught psychology at American International College in Springfield, Mass. In 1957 she moved to Langdon, N.H., and taught at Acworth Elementary School, serving as both teacher and principal. From 1960 to 1964 she was curriculum editor and was in charge of research in the education department of Universalist-Unitarian Association of Boston. In 1965 she moved to Berkeley, Calif., and joined the faculty of Starr King Theological School and was on the West Coast staff for adult religious education.
She returned to Boston in 1966 and from then until 1969 she was involved with religious education at the Universalist-Unitarian Association. From 1970 to 1972 she was minister of Hartland and Woodstock, Vt., Universalist-Unitarian Churches.
She retired to Springvale, Maine, in 1972.
Rev. Spoerl was the recipient of the Universalist-Unitarian Association Distinguished Service Award and the Angus MacLean Award in Religious Education.
In 1973 she received the degree of Doctor of Sacred Theology from Starr King School of Ministry and was presented with the Doctor of Divinity by the Meadville/Lombard Theological School.
She was the widow of Dr. Howard Davis Spoerl, who died in 1955.
Surviving are a son, Walter Spoerl of Charlestown, N.H.; and two grandchildren, Jennifer and Howard of Portsmouth and Boston.
A memorial service will be held locally in the spring. Funeral services will be private. Arrangements are by Old Orchard Beach Funeral Home, 36 Portland Ave., Old Orchard Beach, Maine.