Dorothy "Nell" Savopoulos

Dorothy “Nell” Savopoulos (nee McCoy), 90, of Bermuda Run, North Carolina, passed peacefully on Saturday, November 6th, 2021. She was born near Independence Virginia, the daughter of Harry Robert McCoy, an Exxon executive and Ruby McCoy, a homemaker, who lived most of their years together in Roanoke Virginia. Nell was raised in Norton Virginia prior to the family’s final move to Roanoke. She attended high school there where she was editor of the yearbook, captain of the girls’ basketball team and class valedictorian.

Mrs. Savopoulos attended Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia where she was elected freshman class president, and later, student government president in her senior year. She majored in psychology, graduating with honors.  Her first job was at Lehigh University as a psychometrician where she met her future husband, Michael D. Savopoulos, who was studying engineering.  The couple married in two services in 1954, one in the Greek Orthodox Church and one in the Methodist Church to appease both families. They settled in the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania area where their sons James Alan “Jay” and Harry “David” were born.  The family relocated to Jacksonville, FL and Florham Park, NJ before settling in Cockeysville, MD where they lived for more than thirty years.  Mrs. Savopoulos returned to work after the family moved to Maryland, first as a Johns Hopkins medical research assistant, and then moved on to the University of Maryland Dental School where she became Assistant to the Dean.  She finished her career at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County as Director of Development and Manager of Corporate and Alumni Affairs until her retirement in 1991.  The couple moved to St. Augustine, FL in 2004 and enjoyed retirement there prior to moving to be closer to family, first to Riderwood Village in Silver Spring, MD, followed by their most recent move to Bermuda Village in Bermuda Run, NC.

Mrs. Savopoulos is survived by her husband, Michael, sons Jay (wife Emily), and David (wife Camille), as well as her brother, William “David” McCoy (wife Millie) of Wellington, FL, four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and multiple nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in passing by her brother, Harry Robert “Bob” McCoy (wife Lucette), of Roanoke, VA.

A Memorial Service will be held 2:00 PM Saturday, December 4, 2021 at the Hayworth-Miller Funeral Home, 3315 Silas Creek Pkwy, Winston-Salem, NC 27103. A reception will follow in the Robert F. Miller Center.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at the following link:

https://secure.pancan.org/site/Donation2?df_id=2681&mfc_pref=T&2681.donation=form1