Dr. Dorothy Ann Frayer, 80, died Sunday, August 25, 2019, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Born November 1, 1938, in Detroit Michigan, Dorothy was the daughter of Rudolph and Anna Frayer.  She was preceded in death by her brother, William (Shirley).  Survivors include her brother, Donald (Ruth), and numerous nieces, nephews, and their children.

She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin.

Dorothy's passion was educational psychology. She is credited with developing the Frayer Model, a widely used tool to build student vocabulary. She co-authored three books and published numerous papers and articles.

Dorothy was a "people person", she loved finding just the right gift or article for friends and family. She always sent greeting cards with a thoughtful inscription for Special Occasions. Even as dementia affected her memory, her personality remained upbeat. Her infectious laugh and cheery disposition will be missed by all.

Dorothy spent much of her life in the Pittsburgh area. She worked in several capacities for Duquesne University, founding the Center for Teaching Excellence.

Visitation will be at Heeney-Sundquist Funeral Home in Farmington, on Wednesday, September 4, at 12:30 pm with a Memorial at 1:30pm, followed by interment.  Her interment will be in at Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens in Novi.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to: Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15282, with the memo: Center for Teaching Excellence Endowed Fund.

Special thanks are extended to the staff of RoseWood Village at Greenbrier for their care and friendship throughout the past year.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published a wonderful article celebrating her life and its many accomplishments. Click here to read .