Sarah Blaisdell Dorn was not interested in being in the spotlight.
Though well-known for her philanthropic efforts in the Bradford community, Dorn — daughter of Zippo Manufacturing Co. founder George G. Blaisdell — often made gifts quietly, undetected by fellow citizens.
Dorn died Sunday. She was 88.
She is remembered by those who knew her for her demeanor as well as her support of the community.
“She was my mentor,” said Howard Fesenmyer, who worked closely with Dorn for many years in her business and philanthropic pursuits. “The things that we did together were wonderful.”
Fesenmyer worked with her for 62 years at Zippo Manufacturing Co., and he was the executive director for the Philo and Sarah Blaisdell Foundation for 25 years, he said.
Dorn was “very compassionate, very understanding,” Fesenmyer said. “Her father would be so proud of her if he were alive today.” Because of her work in the community, “she will long be remembered by the many people affected. She was a wonderful lady.”
Fesenmyer appreciated her business skills, too. “We traveled the world. She was a great salesperson,” he said. “We promoted Zippo all over the world, from Europe to the Far East.
Fesenmyer added, “Like anything, things come to an end, and we live with the fond memories.” However, the spirit of Dorn’s compassion will live on through the ongoing efforts of the Foundation, he indicated. “We’re going to continue what she had expected us to do,” he said, explaining it will still serve the needs in the community. “There’s a lot to be done.”
Dorn’s passing has an impact on the still family-owned Zippo.
“The entire Zippo family is saddened about the news of Sarah Dorn’s death,” said Greg Booth, president and chief executive officer of Zippo and W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. Along with her sister, Harriett, her involvement with the company started at the very beginning when their father, George Blaisdell started the company.
“Sarah played a vital role in the growth and success of Zippo,” Booth continued. “She also was a big booster for Bradford and made countless contributions to many community organizations to help improve the lives of the people who lived in her hometown. Zippo will very much miss Sarah and she will be forever remembered by those who knew and loved her.”
Ron Orris, executive director of the Blaisdell Foundation, described her work through the organization. “I don’t think there’s a non-profit in this town that they haven’t touched,” he said. “She has a big heart for Bradford and wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of.”
That’s evident in the mission of the Blaisdell Foundation, which Orris said is “taking care of the children, the elderly and the animals.” He explained, “She was one of the trustees of the Blaisdell Foundation and was instrumental in so many things in our community,” said Orris, who described a few of those things.
Dorn and the Foundation provide support to the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford in many ways, such as through annual scholarships for high school seniors, according to Orris. Additionally, “They made sure that every third grader gets swimming lessons at the YMCA.”
Orris, who is the former executive director of the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce, shared one of his fond memories of Dorn. He explained that when he first became director of the Chamber, the Chamber put a news release in the newspaper asking for help from the community to purchase new Christmas lights. The next morning, Dorn and her sister, Harriett B. Wick, called and said they wanted to pay for the lights.
Recently, the Foundation donated $40,000 for the rehabilitation of Hanley Park, and last summer, Orris worked with Dorn on a project at the McKean County SPCA. “She asked if I would go down and check it out, and I gave her a report,” Orris explained. She and then-Foundation director Howard Fesenmyer asked Orris to be a consultant to help the SPCA serve its animals better. She was involved with the whole process. “Whatever the needs were, she was there to take care of them,” said Orris.
“We’re going to continue to do that in her memory and continue to focus on those categories,” Orris said. “She’s going to be missed in the community. She has just been such a great part of Bradford.
“Sarah didn’t always wait to ask for someone to help,” Orris said. He gave her work with the SPCA as an example. “She went out to find what the problems were and tried to solve those problems. I think that says a lot about her.”
Her efforts have not gone unnoticed by the organizations she’s supported.
“The Blaisdell Foundation has been really good to the SPCA,” said Chris Taylor, SPCA executive director. “We wouldn’t have an SPCA without them. They’ve been absolutely wonderful to us.”
Among recent updates made possible through the Foundation were new computers, an updated billing process, funding for a washer and dryer and outdoor kennel improvements, according to Taylor.
Mark Luciano, a local contractor who worked on improvements to the SPCA in recent years, said Dorn not only provided financial support, but also business support. She would stop regularly when he was working and check on the progress, making sure the SPCA had what it needed.
“She’ll be missed, that’s for sure,” said Luciano.
The administration at Pitt-Bradford talked about Dorn’s imprint on the university, too.
“Our campus mourns the passing of one of Bradford’s most caring and generous citizens,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. “The naming of Sarah B. Dorn House, a campus residence hall, ensures that Sarah’s memory will live on for future generations of students.
“Through her longstanding philanthropy, Sarah has made it possible for an untold number of students to complete their education. Future generations of students will continue to benefit because of Sarah’s foresight in helping to establish funds that generate scholarships in perpetuity. The entire community will miss Sarah Dorn. We send sincere condolences to George Duke and Harriett Wick and family,” Alexander said.
Bradford City Mayor Tom Riel described the impact Dorn had on the city.
“She was a strong pillar in the community,” he said. “A high-caliber lady and highly respected in the community, she was very generous to say the least. She was a great lover of animals, too.”
Riel added, “Over the years, she and her family have contributed countless dollars to many, many worthwhile projects in the community. I’m sure her presence and generosity will have a void to many worthwhile causes.”
Funeral arrangements have been announced by the family, along with a full obituary:
Dorn, of 138 Kennedy St., Bradford, passed away Sunday (Jan. 10, 2016) at Bradford Regional Medical Center.
Born Nov. 22, 1927, in Buffalo, she was a daughter of the late George G. and Miriam (Barcroft) Blaisdell. On April 23, 1981, in the Episcopal Church of The Ascension in Bradford, she married Richard B. Dorn, who survives.
She was a 1945 graduate of Bradford High School. She received her bachelor of arts degree from Connecticut College, and later graduated from the Katherine Gibbs Business Academy in New York City.
Dorn was actively involved with Zippo operations beginning in the early 1950s. She and her sister, Harriett B. Wick, assumed ownership after the death of their father in 1978. Dorn served as vice president and treasurer on the board of directors of Zippo Manufacturing Co. until her retirement. She maintained a seat on the board of directors at the time of her death.
Dorn was a member of the board of directors for many charitable organizations, which supported many health, welfare, social and leisure programs in and around Bradford. She was especially proud to serve on the board of directors of the Philo and Sarah Blaisdell Foundation, which her father established in December 1950.
In 1980 through the Blaisdell Foundation, Dorn and Wick established the Miriam Barcroft Blaisdell Scholarship, which supports scholarships for 65 students annually.
In 1993, Dorn received the Presidential Medal of Distinction from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for her long-time support of the university. Her memberships included the Pennhills Club and The Bradford Club.
Surviving, in addition to her husband Richard, are one son, George B. (Rita Walters) Duke Sr.; and one sister, Harriett Blaisdell Wick, all of Bradford; two grandchildren, Grant B. (Shane Baker) Duke and Sarah Duke; two stepgrandchildren, Kara Close and Beau Close; one nephew, D. Blaise (Ann Anderson) Wick; one niece, Barbara Wick (Richard) Kearney; four stepchildren, Missy (John) Warner, Terry Dorn, Mac (Lauri) Dorn and Bruce (Carol) Dorn; six stepgrandchildren and three stepgreat-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, Paul C. Duke Jr.; her second husband, Thomas Blauser; one son, Paul C. Duke III, who died Sept. 28, 2005; one grandson, George B. Duke Jr., who died Nov. 13, 2015; one nephew, Michael Quinn Wick, who died Oct. 16, 2005; and a brother-in-law, Robert H. Wick.
Friends are invited to attend a memorial service at 10 a.m. Saturday at The Episcopal Church of the Ascension with the Rev. Stacey Fussell, rector of The Episcopal Church of Ascension, and the Rev. W. LeRoy Beckes, retired Presbyterian minister, co-officiating. Burial will be private in Willow Dale Cemetery. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Hollenbeck-Cahill Funeral Homes Inc.
Memorials, if desired, may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Online condolences may be made at www.hollenbeckcahill.com.
