Rev. Dennis E. Dorsch
The Rev. Dennis E. Dorsch, 74, a retired Elder, died March 3, 2018. A Memorial service was held April 28 at Catonsville , officiated by the Rev. Mark Waddell.
Dennis Edward Dorsch was born Aug. 2, 1944, in Baltimore City, the only child of Rebecca Tormolian and Baldwin Edward Dorsch. He attended Poly and Catonsville High School and Western Maryland College. He also studied at Johns Hopkins University.
For seven year he was the Assistant to the Comptroller of the Johns Hopkins Hospital and then Comptroller of Kent & Queen Anne’s Hospital.
He and the late Roberta Funk Dorsch married in 1969; she died in January 2016. They had one daughter.
In 1971, he answered God’s call to ordained ministry and entered Wesley Theological seminary. He began his ministry at St. John’s of Hamilton UMC, where he served 1973-1978. From 1978 to 1990, he was appointed to Ellerslie UMC where he successfully merged two congregations. Wherever he served he was immersed in the local community. For four years, 1990-94, he was the senior pastor for the East Cumberland Parish, with eight churches, and three other pastors. He moved to Accokeek in 1994 and remained until he retired in 2008. There he worked tirelessly with families in need, organizing a community food pantry, a Thrift Shop and other responses to the hungry and homeless.
Throughout his life Dorsch felt strongly about mentoring youth. Since beginning his service as a pastor, he identified and mentored 44 individuals through their call to be clergy.
As a young man, he was active in his local Boy Scout troop and on its regional committees. He was active in Sunday School and also worked on the Baltimore-Washington Conference Annual Meeting Planning Committee. That experience led to him writing speeches for both Baltimore Mayor Theodore McKeldin and President Lyndon B. Johnson who were attending the conference.
After retirement, he and his wife moved back to Catonsville where he was a tireless advocate for justice and inclusion. Shortly before his death, he participated in the March for Our Lives against gun violence in Washington and a Lobby Day rally in Annapolis for Health Care for the Homeless. He was also a docent at Lovely Lane UMC.
His hobbies included stamp collecting and participating in Sherlock Holmes groups. He didn’t miss an opening day for the Baltimore Orioles since 1954.
Survivors include his daughter Brenda Dorsch. Condolences may be sent to her at 208 Ingleside Ave., Baltimore, MD 21228.