Berkeley Lake lost a treasure on October 31st when Mrs. Emily Dennisson passed away just shy of her 99th birthday. She is survived by her sons John and James and their families including 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren, and her many friends in her beloved Berkeley Lake.

Always upbeat and ready for a chat"Ms. Emily", as she was affectionately known, loved having visitors. Typically her friends would go to check on her well being, and would leave with more strength than when they arrived, feeling uplifted from her very positive nature. Friends that had seen her recently said she was as sharp as ever, and would inquire about members of their families, neighbors, how their ailments were coming along, etc.

Ms. Emily and her husband Leonard retired to Berkeley Lake in the 1960s. Leonard passed away in 1985. Together they enjoyed living on and appreciating the beauty and quiet nature of the lake. A retired legal secretary, she stayed active doing volunteer work translating books into Braille machines for the visually impaired to help them take college courses they might not have been able to take without her work, which she would do until late into the night because people would sometimes be waiting for the books. And, as her son John said,"there couldn't be any mistakes because with Braille you cannot erase."

Friend and neighbor Kay Lee said translating Braille was typical of how Ms. Emily challenged herself- "Emily was a very determined person, very resourceful, I think that's what we admired about her. She never complained about anything." Puzzles also kept her active engaged. The walls in her house have dozens of puzzles she completed.

"Emily was interested in everything going on around the lake, and she used to go to all the council meetings and homeowners meetings," said her friend Kitty Dales."Her mind was just as sharp as ever. Her body got old, but she wasn't old."

John and Mary Lou Dennisson attended chapel service on Sunday, Nov. 12, to thank everyone in the community for their cards, letters and other expressions of condolences. John spoke about how much his parents had loved Berkeley Lake and the chapel, and requested that any gifts be made to the chapel in lieu of flowers.

Ms. Emily, truly a treasure, will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her, and by many students who didn't know her but continue to benefit from her very quiet gift of translating books into Braille.