She was a singer, actress and author born Mary Louise Dobbs in Nutley, New Jersey who started acting while young and studied dance with Martha Graham and acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.
When she attended a Paul Robeson guitar recital she met the conductor and composer Robert DeCormier and not long after joined him on tour. They began a creative and romantic partnership and were married in 1950.
They went on to recorded several albums, including a series of songs for children from all over the world such as Songs Children Sing in Germany and Rounds from Round the World and two albums of children’s songs written by Woody Guthrie, together and tour with the Freedom Theatre. She and Robert were very involved in the Terezin projects which included childrens songs and requiems written during WWII at the Terezin concentration camp.
She was also a member of her husband’s a cappella group Counterpoint and she performed with the Robert DeCormier Singers.
Continuing with her love of acting she appeared several productions at the Weston Playhouse and in the 1993 film Ethan Frome and 1996’s The Spitfire Grill. As a writer she published a series of mystery books under a pseudonym.
Recordings she performed on include Woody Guthrie’s Song Book, Catskill Mountain Folk Songs and Songs Children Sing in Italy as well as Let Me Fly and Christmas in Vermont by Counterpoint and The First Nowell, Walking in the Sunshine, A Victorian Christmas and Greensleeves Plus 20 Folk Song Hits by The Robert DeCormier Singers along with many others.
She died at home in Belmont, Vermont in 2022 when she was 93 years old.
Robert DeCormier Singers and Ensemble recordings
Blessed Be That Maid Mary (Traditional 15thC English/George Ratcliffe Woodward)
Arabesque Z6525 (CD – A Victorian Christmas’)
Conductor and arranger – Robert DeCormier
Carols Medley – Merry Christmas (Traditional)/Dame Get Up and Bake Your Pies (Traditional English)/Everywhere, Everywhere Christmas Tonight (Phillips Brooks/Lewis Henry Redner)
Arabesque 6526 (CD: The First Nowell)
Arranger/Conductor – Robert DeCormier
Organ/Piano – David Ralph
Sources:
- ttps://vermontjournal.com/obituaries/mary-louise-dobbs-decormier-1928-2022/”>https://vermontjournal.com/obituaries/mary-louise-dobbs-decormier-1928-2022/
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0208119/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t8
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/2297631-Bob-And-Louise-DeCormier
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/2139006-Louise-DeCormier
- https://www.albanyrecords.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ar&Product_Code=TROY896&Category_Code=a-NR
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/louise-decormier-mn0001703210/credits