Dorothy Ann Sickle Prickett

Dorothy Ann Sickle Prickett, 77, was welcomed into the arms of her Heavenly Father as she let go of Earthy pain and illness on September 18, 2025. A dedicated military wife and mother, cherished grandmother and honored sister will be missed tremendously. Dottie as she was known to friends and (Dor or Dorothy Ann, to her siblings) was born in Leonardtown, Maryland on March 5, 1948, to William Joseph Sickle and Dorothy Greenwell Sickle, both deceased. She spent her childhood in St. Mary’s County Maryland where she attended Little Flower School and St. Mary’s Academy. She was confirmed in the Catholic Faith. Dottie attended the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore Maryland where she studied Early Childhood Education. She met her husband, A.L Prickett III (Joe), while attending a dance hosted between the college and the young Army officers. Her grandchildren very much enjoy the stories about her attending the dance with a date and asking him to hold her drink while she danced with Joe. It was said that she was so nervous about introducing Joe to her family, insisting they don’t call him by the wrong boy’s name, that she was the one who called him someone else’s name that day. Joe and Dottie were married in December 1969. Dottie became a mom in1972 to a son and daughter in 1974. The Army took the family to Arizona, Taiwan, Virigina, Texas, and Washington D.C and back to Maryland. As a military wife, Dottie traveled extensively beyond her simple country roots. She learned to speak Mandarin Chinese, attended graduate school, and made many trips to Mexico while living in Az and Texas. The family enjoyed extensive adventures while living in Texas. By far the most memorable (and laughed about) was driving for hours to take pictures of Bluebonnets. “Pictures?!”, the children said. She was a lifelong teacher. Dottie taught 3rd grade and pre-school. Well after leaving the profession in 1979, she continued to teach her children, then her grandchildren. Reading, writing and home economics were her specialty. Her children recall the “one thing we’re going to do this summer” list that included math worksheets and reading lists. Dottie and Joe settled in California, Maryland in the house that Dottie spend 20 years dreaming about on graph paper and magazine cut outs. She oversaw every brick, every nail, every shingle and made sure the construction crew was well fed. She spent a lot of time laying brick paths, planting (then moving) many flowers and trees. She canned vegetables from the garden and completed hundreds of sewing projects. She enjoyed having her Grandchildren visit and spent time making special sleeping places for them and setting up toy villages for them to play. Retirement took them to Florida so they could enjoy the snowbird lifestyle, spending 6 months in Florida and 6 months in Maryland. Dottie continued to enjoy sewing, making projects for the home and for her grandchildren. She enjoyed pictures and videos of all her grandchildren’s activities in music, art, school or whatever interests them. She took immense pride in the Oktoberfest drndls and vests she made every year in a Disney Princess theme for Eillen and Jack. Dottie is survived by her devoted husband Joe III, son Joe, daughter Nell (Craig), her three granddaughters and one grandson. Also left to cherish her memory are her younger siblings, Kathy Lynn (Lance) whose visits she enjoyed as well as Kenny (Cheryl) and Betty Lou (Andy) with whom she often exchanged emails and texts over recent years, and JC. Honoring Dottie’s wishes, a Service of Preparation for the After Life was attended by immediate family in her presence. Condolences may be left on the Memory Wall at mgfh.com. Condolences may be made to the family at www.mgfh.com. Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home and Cremation Services, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.