Dodrill, Petie

1929 - 2021

Ruth “Petie” Dodrill, age 92, of Westerville, Ohio, died peacefully in her sleep at home on Thursday,

August 26, 2021. Petie was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania

to Edith and Clarence

Johnson. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in

Journalism from Penn State

University and a Master of

Fine Arts degree in Theater from Ohio University. Petie was the costume designer for over 100 productions at the Otterbein College

Theatre; she introduced

Childrens Theatre to the

Otterbein and Westerville community in 1962, directing 26 Childrens Theatre productions. Petie loved the theater - acting, teaching, high school, college, and community theaters. She shared this passion and the love of travel with her husband of 48 years, Dr.

Charles Dodrill, who passed away in 2003. Together they helped create one of the most preeminent theater programs in the nation over their three decades working together. Forcreating

a legacy of inspiration, community, and creativity at Otterbein, Petie received

Otterbeins Womens Club

Woman of the Year Award in 1979, and an Honorary

Alumna degree from Otterbein

University in 1994.

Petie was the Director of the Speech and Theater

Department at Gahanna

Lincoln High School where she taught for 30 years and served as the director and designer for over 35 productions. Deeply engaged with arts and life-long learning, Petie read voraciously, painted, traveled and audited numerous classes at Otterbein University.

She shared her love of the written word with the broader community into her 90s in two book clubs, reading to first graders at for 12 years, performing on

Voicecorps live radio channel, and directing plays for

Curtain Players and SRO

Theater Company. She was also deeply involved with the Otterbein University

Advisory Board as a dedicated board member and contributor. Petie was blessed with three children,

Tracy (Andy) Foster, Brad (Bethany) Dodrill and Trish (Tony) Garrison; six grandchildren, Kate and Megan

Foster, Lindsay Dorka and

Matt Dodrill, Jake and Savannah

Garrison; and one great granddaughter, Reese

Dorka. Petie so loved sharing in all their busy lives her family was the greatest pride and joy of her life. A

Celebration of Life Service will be held in the Spring of 2022. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made tothe Petie

Dodrill Theatre Endowment

Award of Otterbein University,

and sent to Otterbein

University, Attn: Institutional

Advancement, 1 S. Grove

Street, Westerville, OH, 43081. Memories can be shared at www.morelandfuneralhome.com