Dorothy Dalton Paine

Dorothy Dalton Paine (Mrs. Travers W. Paine, Jr.) passed away on March 7, 2019, while residing at Fellowship Home in Valdosta at the age of 101. Dorothy was born in Valdosta on February 26, 1918 to Emma Mae Ferrell Dalton and Oscar D. Dalton, and was the last survivor of the 10 Dalton children (Ferrell, Emily, Vallie, Virginia, Adelma, Lary, Margaret, Oscar, Dorothy and Gloria) who grew up in the historic Converse-Dalton-Ferrell house on Patterson Street in Valdosta. She was the twin of the girls’ only brother, Oscar.
She was predeceased by her husband, Travers W. Paine, Jr. and by her daughters, Dorothy Paine Youngblood of Round Up, Montana, and Suzanne Paine Collins of Augusta, Georgia, and granddaughters Alice Paine and Dalton Collins. She is survived by her sons Travers W. Paine III (Kate) of Augusta and William Ferrell Paine (Robbie) of Athens, and daughter Virginia Paine Copeland (Don) of Charlotte. She is also survived by grandchildren Shawn Youngblood, Tamara C. Hunt, Cynthia Collins, Travers W. Paine IV, Charlsie Kate Paine, Jason Paine, Wesley Anderson, and Ali Anderson Quine, as well as great grandchildren Catherine Hunt and Travers W. Paine V.
Her husband was her Wildcat classmate at Valdosta High School, while she was a cheerleader. After both graduated in 1936, Travers followed football to Georgia Tech and Dorothy was crowned Miss Valdosta in 1937, clearly due to her natural personality and beauty. She was the foundation of a family of 5 children, and she bolstered her husband’s 45-year engineering career with Southern Bell Telephone/BellSouth. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in 1999.

She easily attracted friends and treasured her loved ones. She was proud of her family heritage and enjoyed a lifetime of family occasions. Dorothy was also the 1950-1951 president of the Valdosta Junior Service League, which eventually acquired and restored her family’s Converse-Dalton-Ferrell house in 1982.

She had a strong will to live and attributed her longevity to exercise, faith and chocolate. She lived through many hard times and tragedies, and she survived many illnesses, surgeries, and accidents, even when there was little hope. But she always bounced back from these setbacks with a renewed zest for life and embraced each day with pleasure. She knew the Lord and never wavered from her faith in Jesus and God. Without prejudice and preaching, she influenced and guided many to peace and salvation in Christianity.


A graveside service will be held at 1:00 on Saturday March 16, 2019 in the family plot at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Valdosta, Georgia, and the family will receive friends for a celebration of life at the Converse-Dalton-Ferrell House at 305 N. Patterson Street from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.mclanecares.com. Carson McLane.