Obituaries

Dora Rodliff Gianoulakis, Educator and Community Activist, died on January 6, 2025, at age 86, from heart failure.

Born in New Jersey, Dora attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with honors in 1962. She earned her Masters in Education from Washington University in 1968. Dora taught in the University City Public Schools, the Learning Center, and New City School.

Dora and a group of like-minded teachers founded Childgrove School. Childgrove was a warm exciting place where preschool and elementary kids learned to love learning. Classrooms were multi-year and kids worked on projects that integrated the three Rs, music, and the arts. In 1977, Childgrove moved from rented space to University City —into a wonderful Egyptian Revival building that Dora had found. Childgrove continued to serve children for 17 years. Dora became the school Head, and then served on their Board.

In 1986, Dora moved to Spanish Lake, an unincorporated section of North County. When the Spanish Lake Area Study proposed a community association be created, she and her husband, John, started the Spanish Lake Community Association (SLCA). Through the SLCA, Dora taught people how to get their government to help them: whether it was who to call when a streetlight was out, how to handle a noisy neighbor, or where to find help creating a community garden.

Dora and John made possible the purchase of the Twillman House, a local historic home, to become the centerpiece of the SLCA’s community activities and services. During the long period of renovation, Dora brought together volunteers from organized labor and the community as well as securing numerous grants, culminating in a beautiful and historic resource for the whole community.

Dora often said “I’m trying to put Spanish Lake on the map.” Before the SCLA, maps of North County never included Spanish Lake, but soon after Dora and the SLCA started work, Spanish Lake began to be included whenever North County maps appeared on TV and in the press.

She served the St. Louis community and the State of Missouri in various capacities, including leadership roles on the Board of Wilson School and the Board of the Spanish Lake Community Association.

Dora was proud of her work as a community organizer. She built coalitions between disparate groups in order to to get things done, and sometimes to stop things being done. Her proudest accomplishment was creating the “Save the Confluence Coalition”, which brought together The SLCA, Environmental Groups, Bird Groups, and Church Groups to stop the construction of a casino complex on the Mississippi Floodplain—The bright lights of the Casino would’ve obstructed the migration of millions of birds. Many people said that the Casino couldn’t be stopped because of the jobs and money it would bring to St Louis, but the Save the Confluence Coalition ultimately prevailed.

Dora was an avid birdwatcher, gardener, chef, and traveller. She couldn’t see a stray cat or dog without trying to capture them and take them home. She gave marvelous dinner parties. John and Dora were noted for their adventurous travels, including hiking into a remote panda survey camp when they were in their 70s. She was proud that they had visited all seven continents.

Dora is survived by her daughter Candlin Dobbs (Todd Manley) and sister Abigail (Ron) Wilson, and step-children, Christopher (Mindy) Gianoulakis and Kia (Guy) Meyers, grandchildren Michael Gianoulakis, Nichole (Ronny) Record, and Kira Mae Meyers, great-grandchildren Riley and Rosie Record, nieces Aubrey Moss and Hilary Moss (Dr. Michael Horwich) and their children Anabell Grace and Eben Max Horwich Moss, nephews Halé Metzger, Louis (Beth) Gianoulakis and their children Christopher, Alex, Nicolas, Lincoln, and Sophia, James Gianoulakis, and Joe Jr. (Theresa) Bayer, and their children Joe III and Adrienne. She is predeceased by her beloved husband of 54 years, John Louis Gianoulakis, her first husband, John MacGregor Dobbs, and her sister, Jacquith Metzger.

There will be be a private service at the Bellfountaine Cemetery to lay both Dora and John to rest. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Spanish Lake Community Association or the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.