Dorothy Rainey wasn’t born or raised in Duluth, but “Doo-looth,” as she pronounces it, is the town she affectionately calls home. For the past 40 years or so, Rainey has poured an immense amount of time, money, and love into the city. It’s been the setting for some of the best years of her life, and that’s saying a lot, as Rainey just celebrated her 100th birthday in January.
Rainey and her husband, Frederick, both retired from Shell Oil in Texas in the early 80s. Frederick picked Georgia as the state where they’d retire, and Rainey chose Duluth as the city.
“Honey, I came from a small town in North Carolina and Duluth felt just like it,” said Rainey. “There was one main street, a two-lane road, just like home. I knew this was where I had to be.”
Rainey, a grandmother and great-grandmother, loved to spend her days gardening at home during retirement, but she longed for something more. Her new friend, Kathryn Willis, helped her find the answer.
“Kathryn was involved in so many things,” said Rainey. “She was a big volunteer and helped everyone. I wanted to do that, too. I got involved at my church, Duluth First United Methodist, the Friends of the Library, Meals on Wheels. The more I did the more I wanted to do.”
Rainey began volunteering at Joan Glancy Memorial Hospital, which was the first hospital established in Gwinnett County. She worked in the gift shop and went room to room with a gift cart. When Northside Hospital Duluth (formerly Gwinnett Medical Center Duluth) was built next door, she transferred and volunteered in that gift shop.
“I stayed there until it became too techy for me,” said Rainey. “I moved to the reception desk and loved it because everyone who came through the door stopped by our desk. I love meeting people. It never felt formal, it was just like family. It felt small, comfortable, just wonderful.”
As Rainey continued to volunteer, she also built a reputation across town as a philanthropist. Today, in her apartment at an assisted living community in Duluth, her shelves boast multiple awards. There are glass awards from the hospital, United Way, the Duluth Fall Festival, which she volunteered at and sponsored for over 25 years. She was the festival’s grand marshal in 2021. The hospital gave her a distinguished service award in 2011 for her years of giving and volunteering, and she also has an award from the Keystone Society for giving over $1 million throughout the years.
There are a few projects that have been especially dear to Rainey, like the 32-foot Christmas tree she gifted the hospital.
“It’s special to see the impact of what I give,” said Rainey. “That Christmas tree does something to me. Knowing the workers will see those lights when they come and go, that the families and patients might see that and know they’re loved, it makes me happy. When I give, I’m not simply giving something away, I’m sharing.”
Rainey also sponsored the large, illuminated stained glass artwork in the chapel at the hospital’s Lawrenceville campus, a project she refers to as “her treasure.”
“When you walk in the front door, look left and you see the shine of the stained glass through the chapel doors,” said Rainey. “The light behind the glass is soft, gentle. It’s a ray of sunshine. I hope it’s a comfort during moments of worry and sadness.”
Though her active volunteer days are behind her, Rainey is sharp and knowledgeable about where her donations go and what causes she wants to assist. Aside for macular degeneration in her left eye, the centenarian is in good health. She has survived cancer and an open-heart surgery in the past decade.
“The surgeon and I debated the surgery because of my age,” said Rainey. “But I told him if you don’t help me, I won’t have quality of life to volunteer and I won’t get my 35-year volunteer pin.”
These days, Rainey, who is small-framed and well-known for her immaculate style, maintains a lively social life, zipping around with the assistance of a bedazzled walker. She plays Bingo daily, attends tea and trivia in the afternoons, and eats all her meals with friends in the dining room. She loves to watch football and baseball, and she never misses an episode of “Jeopardy.”
Her apartment is filled remnants from her 100th birthday celebration, flowers, many of which she’s propagated, and trinkets from the hospital, like the annual Christmas ornaments, many of which depict the hospital logo.
“That logo is like my family crest,” said Rainey. “My time there, it never felt like work. I volunteered over 6,000 hours and I looked forward to every day. I don’t know how it happens that when you give you receive so much more. You give, whether it be your time or money, and joy finds you.”
About the Author
