South Dartmouth - Deborah "Debby" Doyle Knowles, 75, of South Dartmouth, Mass., passed away peacefully in her home on January 21, lovingly attended to in the final days of her life by family members and longtime caregivers. Debby, originally from Brockton, Mass., and formerly of Rumford, R.I., gracefully lived the last stage of her life while confronting a lengthy cognitive decline. She is survived by her husband, Lawrence "Jerry", sons Larry and John, daughter Rebecca Braun and her husband Charlie, along with sisters Sudie Knowles, Ellen Doyle, and Ann Thurlow, as well as brother Albert "A.C." Doyle. A fourth sister, Wynken Harwich, predeceased her in 2019. She is further survived by four grandchildren, Astrid, Max, Zara and Oscar, and leaves behind her trusted caregivers, "Debby's girls", Luisa Silva, Maria Silveira, Dawn Riggin, Lindelle O'Keefe, Ruth Robbles and Lidia Gomes.
A 1963 graduate of Emma Willard School in Troy, N.Y., Debby earned a Bachelor's degree from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., in 1967 and a Master's degree in Spanish Literature from Brown University in 1969. She also spent a formative year in Madrid as part of her undergraduate studies and went on to teach high school Spanish in the Rhode Island area, first at the Moses Brown School in the late 60s, followed by Providence Country Day School in the early 80s and Bay View Academy in the early 90s.
A language lover with a sharp wit, she enjoyed reading, word play, and mirthful conversation. In mid-life, she joined the Providence Art Club and took up watercolor painting, producing works that adorn the homes of family members and friends today. Debby also spent many years as a homemaker in the Providence area, where she volunteered at museums and practiced yoga, and in South Dartmouth, where she enjoyed boating on Buzzards Bay and strolling country lanes, trailed by her cat, Quahog. Through much of her life, she maintained a fondness for skiing and international travel, making notable trips with her husband and various children to Morocco, Ethiopia and the Middle East.
A memorial service will be held this summer, and in lieu of flowers, friends are asked to donate to Emma Willard School, Attn: "Deborah Doyle Knowles '63 Endowed Scholar Award", 285 Pawling Ave., Troy, New York, 12180.