CORRECTED ARTICLE DUE TO SEPT. 25 EDITION NAME MISSPELLED - SHOULD BE DUXBURY AND NOT DUXBERRY.
By Jenna K. Greaves
Herald Correspondent
Sanford Mayor, Art Woodruff, and the Retired Educator’s Association honored life-long Sanford resident Doris Duxbury for passing on her legacy as an educator at 103 years old by declaring Sept. 10 as Doris Duxbury Day.
“She champions for our organization and deserves this recognition despite her humble attitude,” said Deborah Partridge, Retired Educators Association member. “All of us members feel it is honestly deserved and [the association] has some of its major grass-roots traditions because of her guidance.”
Duxbury was honored at The Colonial Room in Sanford with a gift presentation and cake for her outstanding efforts to create a space for retired educators to connect. Duxbury has even gone as far as opening her home to the Retired Educators Association to host meetings.
“She has placed such emphasis on our profession and uses her time to ensure when we are retired that we continue to have the opportunity to network and socialize, to see opportunities to volunteer and be of service in our community,” Partridge said.
For 70 years, Duxbury served the community as an educator. Over the years, Duxbury worked as a fifth-grade teacher at South Side, Pinecrest and Goldsboro Elementary.
Duxbury was originally born in Florence, South Carolina but she earned her title as a life-long Sanford resident when she moved to a 1914 home on Magnolia Ave. in 1922 at just one year old.
In Sanford, Duxbury grew up as an only child with a father who worked for the railroad and a mother who worked for the church.
Her mother was one of Duxbury’s biggest motivators, encouraging her to get her degree and be an active member of the community. She also credits her mother for giving her the good genes to live to 103.
Duxbury attended Florida State University back when it was a women’s college and used her degree toward teaching future generations. Before she went on to become an elementary teacher, Duxbury taught dance to the 55+ community for ten years.
Now, Duxbury has two sons, one daughter-in-law, four grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Beyond her genetic family, Duxbury has led a family of retired educators as a member, three-time past president, and current Membership Chairperson of the Seminole Retired Educators since 1986.
“She is willing to do all she can to support the chapter so retired educators have the opportunity to network with other retirees, to stay abreast of issues that relate to education and that also impact our Florida Retirement Accounts,” Partridge said.
