Dagmar Janet (Niven) Dockery, 81, of Vineyard Haven, formerly of Essex Fells and Chatham, N.J., passed away peacefully at her home on Jan. 10, 2022, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. She is reunited with her parents, John and Marjorie, and her brother, Bruce.
Born in New York City, Dagmar grew up in Chatham Township, N.J., with her parents and younger brother. She graduated from Chatham High School, and lived in Chatham until age 30, when she moved to Essex Fells. During her younger years, Dagmar spent much of her free time dancing and working with local community theater groups, including the Chatham Players, Craig Theatre, New Jersey Ballet, and the Paper Mill Playhouse.
In her 30s, while raising her six children, Dagmar enrolled in classes at Caldwell College. There she would go on to earn undergraduate degrees in biology and chemistry as well as a master’s in biology.
Always fascinated with medicine, Dagmar continued her education, earning her master’s in nursing (MSN). Following her education, she began her career in nursing, and worked as an emergency room, ICU, and surgery RN in dozens of northern New Jersey hospitals, prior to her long tenure with the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. While living in New Jersey, Dagmar was not only a full-time nurse but also an adjunct professor at Montclair State University.
Since the late 1970s, Dagmar’s ultimate love was enjoying the beauty of Martha’s Vineyard, and spending time at the Island’s tranquil beaches. Eventually, Dagmar moved to her home in Vineyard Haven with her youngest son, Christian, where she resided for 26 years.
Dagmar was a personable and confident person with a clever sense of humor, razor-sharp wit, and fondness for good music. She quickly made many great friends on the Island, and spent countless fun evenings of her free time dancing and socializing at beloved past haunts, including Lola’s, the Navigator, and David’s Island House.
While living on Martha’s Vineyard, Dagmar worked as an RN for the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. At MVH, she took on numerous responsibilities in every department, but it was the urgency, focus, and teamwork of the emergency room where she truly thrived. Many times, she answered the call to accompany the U.S. Coast Guard as their flight nurse for critical patient evacuations to Boston and other mainland hospitals. It is without question that these medical evacuations were among her most thrilling and rewarding career experiences.
During her later years, Dagmar continued her pursuit of education at UMass Dartmouth, earning her third master’s (DNP), and becoming a nurse practitioner. In the last vignette of her illustrious career, she worked as a nurse practitioner for a clinic in Vineyard Haven. While this role lacked the fast pace of an urban hospital’s trauma wing or a late-night Coast Guard transport flight, in her view, becoming a nurse practitioner was her greatest career achievement.
Dagmar was a strong woman with a million-dollar smile. She was a caring soul, with the rare tenacity to always try harder, learn more, and sacrifice for others. All those who met her felt drawn to her.
For over 35 years, Dagmar’s passion for excellent patient care impacted thousands of people’s lives. She touched so many of us, and will be missed dearly by her family, friends, and colleagues.
She is survived by her children, Kerri Patterson Allen, Scott Patterson (Erin), Amy Patterson Bartelloni (Steven), Christian Billotto (Becky), Jacqueline Dockery, and Kim Dockery; and was a proud grandmother to Morgan, Jessica, Lucinda, Victoria, and Camille.
A memorial service for Dagmar will be held at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church in Vineyard Haven on May 14 at 11 am.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her memory to Parkinson’s research, at michaeljfox.org or parkinson.org.
