Obituary for Dorothy Allshouse Carlisle
September 2, 1927, to October 28, 2025
Dorothy “DeeDee” Allshouse Carlisle, lived a vibrant and productive life for 98 years, before passing away at Life Care Hospice on October 28, 2025. Born to Maybel Adair and Oscar Allshouse in Avonmore, PA on September 2, 1927, she was the only child in this rural farm family.
DeeDee’s loving devotion to Wooster began when she enrolled as a freshman at the College of Wooster in 1945. There she met Glenn Everett Carlisle, a marine returning from active duty with other war veterans, and they married. Together for over fifty years they raised three children.
DeeDee was known to be a civic-minded leader, active in a variety of community services. She was proud of co-directing the initial financial drive to bring hospice to Wayne County. She advocated for hospice at a time when many were skeptical of this innovation in life care. She took pride in seeing hospice grow into a highly revered organization that is now widely embraced. It would have pleased her that her own life came to a peaceful conclusion at Life Care Hospice.
DeeDee’s leadership skills showed her to be highly effective as a problem solver. When her own neighborhood was struggling for humane ways to deal with a feral cat problem, DeeDee developed a program to catch, spay/neuter, and release/adopt the cats. She successfully managed over 20 cats in this humane program, thus helping to resolve the problem of feral cats.
Numerous organizations benefitted from DeeDee’s skills. Trinity United Church of Christ was her spiritual home for over fifty years. She served there as a moderator and was active on many committees. She also volunteered at the Red Cross, and with the Women’s Symphony Committee. She enjoyed her membership in Chapter AP of P.E.O. where she was an avid leader in raising funds to support the education of young women. At Danbury Senior Living, her home for the last two years, she enjoyed excellent care and loving friendships, and she inspired the formation of a poetry group that is now called “DeeDee’s Poetry Group.”
In all of her roles DeeDee was known for her progressive viewpoints that encouraged and inspired social justice and well-being for all members of her community.
DeeDee was predeceased by her husband Glenn, her son William Adair Carlisle, and son-in-law Thomas Anderson. She is survived by her son Randall Carlisle of Salt Lake City, UT her daughter Candace Carlisle Anderson, granddaughter Emily Adair Anderson and her husband Tyson Neukirch, grandson Barrett Anderson and his wife Emily Joy Anderson, and six great grandchildren, all of Petersham, MA. She was the matriarch of a large family that included beloved nieces and nephews.
A private service will be held in the spring. Those wishing to send gifts in honor of DeeDee may consider donations to:
Ohio’s Hospice Life Care, 1900 Akron Rd., Wooster, OH 44691
Trinity United Church of Christ, 150 E. North St., Wooster, OH 44691
McIntire, Bradham & Sleek Funeral Home 216 E. Larwill St., Wooster is assisting the family.
Online condolences may be directed to www.mcintirebradhamsleek.com
Randall and Candace so sorry to hear of your mom’s passing. What a wonderful lady. I worked with your dad at Diamonite Products for several years and he would talk often about ” Dee Dee’s” many projects and accomplishments. God bless her.
Dee Dee was a pillar of Trinity Church. She always greeted my family with a smile. What a wonderful legacy she built in Wooster. Condolences to her family.
So sorry for your loss!
So sorry to the Carlisle family for the loss of Dee Dee. She was such a sweet lady.
What a great lady and neighbor that Dee Dee was !!!
There is a special place in Heaven for her!
May she rest in peace!
Mrs Carlisle lived nearby as I was growing up. She was always kind & she was so well respected by the community. My prayers are with you as you grieve. I miss sweet Billy too
Carol Yund Mills
What an inspiration Dee Dee was to so many. I have been forever blessed to have called her friend. If you knew Dee Dee when you hear her name mentioned you will definitely smile. She adored her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. You all have my sympathy and love.
We express our sincere sympathy in the loss of your dear mother/grandmother. She was a precious soul and very special to our family. Her involvement in P.E.O.. was stellar and the bonds formed will be treasured forever. My mother, Doris Snoddy, joins me in expressing our love and deepest sympathy as you grieve your loss..
Sending our sympathy to Dee Dee’s family. She was a grand lady in about anything she did! We loved sharing our pew with her at Trinity!
You will be so missed Dee Dee!
Condolences to the family. I’m sure she has met up with Bill in heaven by now for a wonderful reunion.
Dee Dee was a wonderful friend of mine. I’m grateful to have know her, and been able to hear her beautiful stories about her childhood, her college years and her favorite poetry pieces. She was kind and genuine and unlike any woman I have ever met. She always had a way with words and I loved seeing the way she impacted those around her. Her beautiful spirit and faith have inspired me so much. She will be missed by so many ❤️
My sweet neighbor, Janet, took me to visit Dee Dee shortly after I moved in about 1-1/2 years ago. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to talk with Dee Dee on a few other occasions, as well, and also read her memoir. What a charming and amazing lady. (When I learned of her passing, I told her beloved trees that she was gone, and the barred owl hooted in response. . . . .) My deepest condolences to her family.
Aunt Deedee had a keen sense of justice. She chose the right thing to do over the easy thing.
I loved her stories of growing up in the dairy farm.
I will miss her yet she will always be in my heart.
Sending our sympathies to Dee Dee’s family. We first met Dee Dee in 1967 when we married at Trinity. In the many years forward she was always at the church for every event and always made an effort to talk with us. Over the years I would se DeeDee at the hospital when there for care for Bill as well as Wednesday night s sitting with her friends at Coccia House. For the past couple years I would see her at Danbury while visiting friends there.
She was so involved with things in Wooster and Will be missed by everyone who knew her. She was a special lady.
Dee Dee was a Wooster hero. I remember her sweet smile and gentle ways. I remember her at Coccia House with her friends.
Sending hugs to Randy and Candy.
Dee Dee lived in my neighborhood when I was growing up.
What an amazing woman and what a loss for Wooster.
My condolences to Candace and Randall
My condolences to Dee Dee’s family and many friends. I was fortunate to have her as a neighbor for four years before she moved to Danbury. She took care to walk up and down our street several times each day as one way to care for her health. Sometimes I would join her, and I enjoyed our conversations. She was always kind and positive in her comments to me and others. I got a big kick out of two Easter parades on our street, organized largely by Dee Dee and Marilyn Tanner (I miss her too), who dressed up colorfully for those occasions, including bonnets and boas. She made the world a brighter place while she was here, and now no doubt she is doing the same on the other side!