Dorothy E. Cumby

Dorothy Cumby, loving wife of David Virgil and mother of their two children, Liam and Maia Virgil, passed away on May 31 after a three-year battle with cancer. She was 64.

Dorothy was born to Jane Armstrong Cumby and William Cumby Sr. She attended Marple Newtown High School, Wagner College, and — after working for a short time as a paralegal in New York City — Fordham Law School, where she distinguished herself with honors and served as editor of the Fordham Law Review. After graduation, she clerked for a federal judge in the U.S. District Court in Connecticut, then returned to New York, accepting a position with the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton. Later, she took a position with Sullivan & Cromwell, where she worked until 2004, eventually becoming special counsel there. Through mutual friends from New York, Dorothy met David, an East Hampton-based architect, on a blind dinner date. They married in 1996.

The couple adopted Liam from Vietnam in 1999 and Maia from Cambodia in 2001. After a few years living in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, and commuting to New York, Dorothy came to feel that the demands of work at a high-powered law firm were taking too much time away from her family. She and David made the loving decision to leave their very successful careers in New York and move to Swarthmore, where much of her family was located. There, Dorothy established her own law firm (Cumby & Weems) and was able to spend more precious time with her children. During the past 10 years, Dorothy worked as a legal analyst and consultant for W. S. Cumby Construction.

Despite the demands of her career, Dorothy always found time to work for the benefit of others. She was an active advocate for the Catalyst Foundation, a humanitarian group, and, in 2008, she, David, and their children participated in one of its volunteer aid expeditions to Vietnam. Back in Swarthmore, she made many other efforts to help the children of Vietnam and Cambodia, in honor of their children’s heritage.

Dorothy enjoyed life to the fullest and shared that love of life with her friends and family. She always put family first and celebrated the deep love that her large, close-knit family bestowed on her. She and David traveled to the other side of the world — twice — to find two children with whom to share that love. David, Liam, and Maia carry on her legacy. 

In addition to David and her children, Dorothy is survived by her brothers, William and Robert; her sister, Barbara; their spouses, Rena, Nancy, and James; her nephews and nieces, William, Abby, Adam, Jamie, Robby, Shay, and Colin — and their spouses and kids, all of whom loved her very much. 

A memorial celebration will be held on June 26 at 4 p.m., at 15 Ogden Ave. in Swarthmore. In lieu of flowers or other offerings, donations can be made in Dorothy’s name to the Catalyst Foundation or to the Literacy Institute at the Woodlynde School by calling the school at 610-293-6750 or by visiting their website.