The funeral for Dorothy Everitt DeFoor Powell, 88, of East Atlanta and Covington, will be Saturday, July 21, 2012, at 1 pm at A.S. Turner Funeral Home, 2773 N. Decatur Road, Decatur.  The Rev. Max Vincent of Allen Memorial United Methodist Church, Oxford, Ga., will officiate.  Mrs. Powell passed away July 14 at Arbor Terrace Assisted Living of Decatur.  The family will receive visitors at A.S. Turner before the funeral, beginning at 11 a.m.  A reception and remembrance will follow at 2 pm at Arbor Terrace, 425 Winn Way, Decatur.  The burial service will be at 5 pm at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. 

Family, friends, former students and co-workers will recall Mrs. Powell as a lively presence, fun in conversation, adventurous in action and spirit, tough and kind in mentoring, and professional in her career.  As she recently told nephews, she “lived a darned good life!”  Mrs. Powell graduated from the University of Georgia in 1943 with a degree in zoology.  She became a medical assistant to Dr. Hines Roberts, one of Atlanta’s first pediatricians.  In the 1960’s and ‘70’s, she directed Dr. Nancy Walls’ microbiology laboratory at Georgia Tech.  According to Dr. Russ Bell, a student who remained a friend, “many students trace their success in part to Dot's loving but firm hand.”  Among them, James Yu, originally from Taiwan and now of Sydney, Australia, remembers that she improved his English with a Southern accent and taught him to produce an excellent Gram stain.  While at Georgia Tech, she was among the first women allowed to conduct research from Navy vessels in Antarctica.  Throughout her life her mind was inquisitive and active.  She recently recited poetry from memory for friends.  She loved animals, most recently her cat, Pookie, whom she made sure had a new home and a loving owner.  Her favorite picture was a portrait painted by Covington friend and artist, Libby Hendricks, in which Mrs. Powell is happily holding a newly-born goat. 

    Mrs. Powell was a member of Martha Brown United Methodist Church in East Atlanta and later of Allen Memorial United Methodist Church in Oxford, Georgia.  She will be buried in the Everitt plot at Oakland Cemetery.  Mrs. Powell had no children.  She had married different, but similarly inventive and interesting men:  Spencer DeFoor, a test driver for Ford, who died in 1983, and Fincher (Bill) Powell, M.D., a co-founder of DeKalb General Hospital, who died in 1998.  She embraced her own family and her husbands’ families closely.  Her survivors include Dr. Powell’s daughter, Mrs. Alice Powell Brice (Charlie), Camden, S.C.; Dr. Powell’s grandchildren, Andrew Brice (Laura), Alvin, Tx.; Matthew Brice, Lexington, S.C., and Mrs. Sarah Brice Lyle (Drew), Opelika, Al.; his great-grandson, Hadley Brice, Alvin, Tx.; Mrs. Powell’s niece, Mrs. Janet Everitt Ballard (John), Atlanta; nephews, Dr. Skip Everitt (Lynda), Gainesville, Fl.; Eddie Everitt, Mansfield, Ga.; grandnieces, Mrs. Robin E. Patfield (Simon), Oakland, Ca., and Mrs. Emily B. McNearney (Robert), Birmingham, Al.; grandnephews, David Everitt, Salt Lake City, Utah; John Everitt Ballard (Michelle), Dallas, Ga.; Daniel M. Ballard (Amy), Auburn, Al.; William Charles (Bud) Ballard, Birmingham, Al.; great-grandnieces, Rachel Patfield, Oakland, Ca.; Avery Marie Ballard, Auburn, Al., and Bailey Kimberly Ballard, Dallas, Ga.; great-grandnephews, Miles Joseph and William Everitt Ballard, Auburn, Al., and Jackson Everitt Ballard, Dallas, Ga.

    In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to the Historic Oakland Foundation, 248 Oakland Avenue SE, Atlanta, Ga., 30312.