Dorothy DeBoy "Dottie" Swann

Dorothy D. Swann, lovingly known as “Dottie,” passed away peacefully on July 12, 2026, at Solomons Nursing Center. She was born on October 19, 1936, to Robert DeBoy and Mildred (Elliott) DeBoy, a multi-generational Solomons, Maryland waterman family. She attended Our Lady Star of the Sea School and graduated from Calvert County High School, where she met Donald A. Bowen. They married in 1956 and raised their only child, Michele, in Huntingtown. After Donald’s passing in 1980, Dorothy found love again with her soulmate from Barstow, Robert L. Swann. Dorothy and Bobby shared 42 wonderful years of marriage while making their home in St. Leonard and Solomons, Maryland, and later in Englewood, Florida. Dorothy’s first job was as a medical assistant for Dr. George Weems at his home office, where her responsibilities ranged from caring for patients to tending to the resident wild animals that lived there. She later worked for Maryland National Bank and the Calvert County Public School system before pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. She graduated from Prince George’s Community College with her nursing degree in 1984. Although she worked at several regional hospitals, she spent most of her career in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) at Calvert Memorial Hospital (now Calvert Health), where she found her true calling and took immense pride in caring for others.

After retiring in 2000, Dorothy and Bobby embraced life as snowbirds alongside many lifelong friends from Calvert County. They built a home in Englewood, Florida, where Dorothy spent countless hours walking the Gulf beaches collecting seashells. She served as President of the Englewood Seashell Club and found great joy in transforming her treasured finds into beautiful, handcrafted gifts for family and friends.

Dorothy was an active member of the Solomons Island Yacht Club. As Fleet Surgeon, she led the effort to obtain the club’s first AED defibrillators and organized its first CPR certification classes. She was equally well known for the unforgettable crab imperial dinners she hosted. Some of Dorothy and Bobby’s happiest memories were made boating with dear friends, taking weekend cruises on the Chesapeake Bay, and simply enjoying the fellowship that surrounded them.

Dorothy also cherished a close-knit circle of lifelong friends. Whether gathered at the Solomons Island Yacht Club, relaxing on a Florida beach, or sharing a girl’s lunch together, these remarkable women laughed often, loved deeply, and lived life to the fullest creating a lifetime of treasured memories.

Nothing brought Dorothy greater joy than her family. She was incredibly proud of her daughter, Michele, and treasured the special bond they shared through their careers in healthcare at the same hospital. Some of their most cherished moments, however, were spent side by side searching the beach for seashells.

As a grandmother and great-grandmother, Dorothy was fiercely protective, endlessly supportive, and a constant source of wisdom, strength, and unconditional love. From the day her granddaughter Crystal was born, Dorothy adored her and never missed an opportunity to celebrate her accomplishments. She loved her special grandma name “Mika” that Crystal chose.   She and Bobby delighted in being part of Crystal’s life and especially loved the many beach vacations they shared together, where no boardwalk souvenir was ever left behind.

Perhaps Dorothy’s greatest joy of all was her great-grandson, Cash. His stories, milestones, and adventures filled her heart, and nothing made her smile brighter than talking about him. The love she had for her family was the foundation of her life and the legacy she leaves behind.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, and her sister Donna Philyaw. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 42 years, Bobby Swann, whose unwavering care over the last several years was a beautiful testament to their love, faith, and commitment to one another. She is also survived by her daughter, Michele Bowen (John Wood); her granddaughter, Crystal Bowen (Tim Hurley); her beloved great-grandson, Cash Hurley; as well as many extended family members and lifelong friends who will forever cherish her memory.

Dorothy’s kindness, compassion, quick wit, unwavering love for her family, and passion for caring for others touched countless lives. She leaves behind a legacy of strength, generosity, and unconditional love that will continue to live on in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know her. Though she will be deeply missed, her memory will forever be carried in every seashell found along the shore, every sunset over Solomon’s Island and the Florida Gulf Coast she loved so dearly, and in the stories and laughter shared by those whose lives she made brighter.

The family will receive friends on Monday, July 20, 2026 from 10am – 11 am at Middleham & St. Peters Episcopal Parish Hall, 10210 H.G. Trueman Road, Lusby, MD. Funeral Services will follow at 11 am with Rev. Erin Shank officiating. Following the funeral service there will be a Celebration of Life at the Solomons Island Yacht Club, 14604 H.G. Trueman Road, Solomons, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Middleham and St. Peters Episcopal Parish, Lusby, MD, or, Hospice of the Chesapeake in honor of Dorothy’s compassionate spirit and recognition of the exceptional care she received during her final days.