Dorothy South Peel went to be with the Lord on May 31, 2014 in Memphis with her loving daughters by her side. Born on July 1, 1929, Dorothy lived a life filled with love. She loved her family, friends, her church, and most of all her Lord. She belonged to Highland Heights United Methodist Church for over 80 years and was a dedicated member of the congregation, served in a variety of leadership positions, and taught Sunday School. She particularly enjoyed impacting the lives of young people. A gifted musician and vocalist from a young age, Dorothy shared her talents through participation in the church choir and as a frequent organist and pianist. She loved to sing and play the piano, and would take every opportunity to engage family and friends through her music. She regularly led the music program and provided accompaniment for Spiritual Growth Retreats at Lakeshore and the Christian Mission Education. Dorothy devoted her life to the service of others through her outreach work with the United Methodist Women (UMW), Methodist Hospital Auxiliary and Wesley Senior Housing. She served as the President of the United Methodist Women Asbury District and was President of the Memphis Conference United Methodist Women, where she established the Fall Fling mission outreach retreat for women under forty. She was the founder of the Volunteer in Mission Teams for conference leadership, a program that continues today. Dorothy served on the UMW Southeast Jurisdiction Team as a nominations chair and traveled extensively throughout 9 states and 15 conferences to select the very best leaders for the next Quadrennium. She was an inspiring leader and loved nurturing women of all ages to Christian service. She was elected President of the Methodist Hospital Auxiliary in 2014 at the age of 84, bringing enthusiasm and new ideas, vowing to make a difference in the organization. Dorothy loved helping others, whether it was preparing and serving meals in her church food kitchen or serving on the board of directors of the Neighbor Center and Wesley Senior Housing. Dorothy was truly the matriarch of her family. She cherished the time she spent with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was married to William L. Peel, Sr. until his untimely death in 1972. She is survived by her son, William L. Peel, Jr.; daughters, Phyllis Peel Curtis and Linda Peel Berger; grandchildren Bethany Berger, Morris Berger, Bradley Curtis, Sean Curtis, Christopher Peel, Laura Peel and Charles Davis; great- grandchildren Blain Curtis, Cooper Curtis, Emma Curtis, Saunsa Nicole Allee, Avery Davis, Macie Davis and Charlee Davis; brother William H. South and sister Shirley South Bargery. She was preceded in death by her loving parents B.F. and Beulah South. Dorothy was an avid University of Memphis basketball fan, following the team''s play for over forty years. She planned her week around Tiger games and in later years was glued to the television or radio to cheer for her beloved team. Visitation will be held at Forest Hill East (2440 Whitten Road, Memphis, Tennessee 38133) on Friday evening, June 6, 2014, from 5-8 p.m. A celebration of Dorothy''s life will be held at Highland Heights United Methodist Church (3476 Summer Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38122) on the following day, Saturday June 7th, at 11:00 am. Entombment will be held at Forest Hill East immediately following the funeral service. In lieu of flowers, contributions are requested to be made to Highland Heights United Methodist Church.

Forest Hill East Funeral Home
901-382-1000