Laura E. Hidey

Laura E. Hidey, age 83, of Fort Myers, Florida, and formerly of New Philadelphia, passed away Saturday, April 9, 2022, in the home of her daughter, Hazel Bailey, with whom she resided.

Born September 25, 1938, in Brandywine, Dover Township, Tuscarawas County, she was a daughter of the late Frederick and Ida P. Yeager Rothacher, and step-daughter of the late Phil Hammond. Laura was employed in food service much of her life, having worked at the Swiss Hat, Sugarcreek, L-K Restaurant, Dover, and the Dutch Oven and Goshen Dairy, both of New Philadelphia. She later was employed as a home health aide for A Better Home Health Care, from which she retired.

Laura’s life revolved around her family who were so very important to her. She enjoyed quilting, and made quilts for all of her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed the outdoors, picking berries and mushroom-hunting. Laura completed her personal bucket list by visiting Bern, Switzerland, and driving the Blue Ridge Parkway.

In addition to her daughter, Hazel,Laura will be dearly missed by her daughters, Cindy (Wally) Sutkowy of Lehigh Acres, Florida, Betty (Ron) Dixon of Naples, Florida, and Paula Shotwell and Debby (Jim) Bonner, both of New Philadelphia; her 14 grandchildren, Beth, Michelle, Michael, Stephanie, David, Jan, Julie, Lori, Steven, Danny, Chrissy, Larry, Rhonda and Brian; her 13 great-grandchildren, Wellesley, Madelyn, Caden, Zoe, Eric, Jordon, Kyra, Josiah, Noah, D.J., Nick, Kiera and Lucas; her brother, Larry (Carol) Rothacher of Fort Wayne, Indiana; and her many nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents and step-father, Laura was preceded in death by her husband of 28 years, Steven Hidey, on March 14, 2010; her son-in-law, Ron Bailey; her sisters, Sophia Rothacher, Hazel Watkins, Virginia Johnson and Rose Rader; her brothers, Jerry, Earl, Sam, Fritz, Raymond and Rudy Rothacher; and her former husband, Paul Schweitzer.

Family and friends are invited to call at the Toland-Herzig Funeral Home & Crematory, Dover, on Wednesday, April 20, 5 - 7 p.m. A funeral service will be held Thursday, April 21, at 11 a.m., in the funeral home; Pastor Bill Johnson of God’s Family Church, Dover, will officiate. Burial will be in Brandywine Cemetery. Following the committal, there will be a lunch in the Toland-Herzig Monarch Center on the Boulevard in Dover.

The family suggests that contributions in Laura’s memory be made to the AMVETS National Service Foundation, 4647 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, Maryland 20706, https://www.amvetsnsf.org.