Doreen Holly, 56, of Elkton, MD, formerly of Coatesville PA, died June 24, 2022.  Born February 9 ^th , 1966, in White Plains New York, she was the daughter of the late Erika (Müller) and Donald Holly, State College PA and aunt of Jordan Holly, who also preceded her in death. She is survived by a brother, Don Holly Jr., and a niece, Katherine Holly, both of Charleston, IL.

Doreen loved animals. She began riding horses at an early age, and in college, competed on the Penn State Equestrian team. Doreen continued to ride horses after college, but her passion for animals soon turned to dogs. Doreen would come to call many dogs family in her lifetime, including Duke, Remy, Vago, Titan, Rhea, Bailey, and Rune. She trained a few of her dogs to be therapy dogs, and proudly took them to hospitals, libraries, and senior-living facilities to lift the spirits of patients, children, and the elderly. Others she showed in the ring; Doreen was very active in the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog community.

Doreen's other love was teaching, having graduated from Penn State in 1989 with a degree in special education.  For the next 29 years she was employed as an English teacher and reading specialist at Fred S. Engle Middle School in the Avon Grove School district. Doreen had been an avid reader since she was a child, so this was the perfect job for her. Her enthusiasm for the written word and penchant for building creative lesson plans made her a very popular teacher. She was also a wonderful colleague—remembered for her willingness to assist her fellow teachers, share ideas for improving instruction, and organizing a book club.

For many years, Doreen lived on a sprawling old farm in Coatesville with her roommate, and long-time friend, Gilbert Campbell. Together they tended a garden on the property and maintained a flock of chickens. Doreen liked to watch deer and wild turkey forage on the hillsides from the corner porch of the farmhouse.  She also enjoyed cheering on her alma mater and the NY Giants during the fall.

When her mother's health started to fail, Doreen helped move her from State College to Coatesville. This was a difficult, but also a happy time for Doreen, as it gave her the opportunity to spend more time with her mother. Her mother's passing a few months later, together with the death of her niece just the year before, was hard for Doreen to bear. In 2020 she moved into a cottage overlooking the Elk River in Elkton, Maryland, where she was fond of photographing the sun setting over the water.

A private memorial will be held at a later date in State College. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Rescue foundation ( www.gsmdrescue.org )