Dorothy Bradford L'Heureux

L'HEUREUX, DOROTHY BRADFORD, 91, of Winter Park, died August 13, 2007. Dorothy L'Heureux, with husband Edgar Sr., began Winter Park's first moving and storage business in 1945. Moving to Central Florida with two small children from their farm in New Jersey shortly after the conclusion of WWII, Dorothy and husband Edgar settled in east Winter Park. After building their own home themselves, a process that took months with building materials then available from the long war effort in short supply, Dorothy and her husband began a trucking business with the rickety 1934 Ford truck that carried their meager farm belongings on the four day trip to Florida. Their moving and storage business, the first ever in Winter Park, became a successful business fixture there over the next 30 years. Born in Philadelphia, PA on August 31, 1915, she attended West Philadelphia High School, where she was known for her fine singing voice. "West Philadelphia High School had at least two fine voices at about that time", her son Ed L'Heureux relates. "One became famous, Jeanette McDonald, of movie fame with Nelson Eddy. Another was my mother, who never became famous but was accomplished enough as a singer to be asked to sing at weddings and funerals while still a teenager." Growing up during the Great Depression of the 1930's, Dorothy's first business position was door-to-door cosmetic sales during an era when door-to-door salespeople were the accepted norm in America. She met her future husband in 1932, and they were married in Akron, Ohio in 1938. Moving to New York State, her two children, Elaine and Edgar Jr., were born there in Gloversville, NY. Mr. L'Heureux worked at the General Electric defense plant in Schenectady, NY during the early years of WWII before serving with the Coast Guard toward the end of the war. A gift to her, a favorite niece of an uncle on her mother's side, of 26 acres of land near Apopka, brought the family to Central Florida in 1945. When the property was walked the first time, a meandering rattlesnake crawled across a rutted path, ending any plans to build a house there, laughed her son. "Mom didn't like crawly critters". Dorothy was Secretary-Treasurer of the Winter Park Moving and Storage Co. for almost 30 years, managing the office while her husband dispatched trucks and oversaw warehouse duties. She was a member of the Methodist Church of Winter Park, and later the Winter Park Presbyterian Church, where she would walk the seven blocks from her home on cool fall and winter mornings to hear her favorite minister, Dr. Delgado, preach sermons. "The greatest tribute to Momma," tells her loving daughter, Elaine Daley, "is the fact that none of us in the family ever heard anyone speak against her during her entire life. Not even once. Truly amazing." Dorothy Bradford L'Heureux could trace her ancestry back to Governor Bradford of the Massachusetts Colony from the Mayflower days. Her grandfather lost an arm in the battle of Gettysburg during our Civil War, and her other grandfather, Edward Townsend Bradford, was a well-known actor in the John Drew company of actors, and he was a fellow actor of John Wilkes Booth, who was in the same acting company. Living through the span of over one-third of all U.S. Presidents in office, Dorothy led a productive and loving life, one characterized by her deep devotion to family and friends. She was deeply loved by family and wonderfully touched by friends who had the good fortune to know her. She is survived by her two children, daughter Elaine Daley of Orlando and son, Edgar Jr. of Winter Springs, and four grandchildren, Pamela Lloyd of Altamonte Springs, Deborah Whitescarver of Orlando, Scott L'Heureux of Winter Springs, and Stacey Hendricks of Winter Springs. She is also survived by ten great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. Everyone has been blessed by her presence, closeness and warmth. A human treasure was Dorothy. A Memorial Service in her honor will be held at 6PM, Friday, August 17th, at the United Methodist Church of Oviedo, 407-365-9350. Family Funeral Home in Oviedo, also has Memorial Service information, 407-365-1600.