Obituary of Dortha Irene Spotts

Dortha Irene Spotts 1932-2009 On July 3rd of this year we lost our beloved Mother, Grandmother (Nonie), and friend. She loved life and all of her friends new and old. Nonie loved music and singing as a young girl growing up in many different towns and cities in Oklahoma , Arkansas , and Texas she sang in church and also funerals and weddings. Also dancing, and learning new things, meeting new people, decorating her home was very important bringing out her very artistic side, she also loved art and painting. She was on her way to becoming a master gardener and really loved her garden. Angels were very important to her and she filled her living space with many, all shapes and sizes, both inside and also outside her home in the garden. Dortha was born in Paris , Arkansas . Her parents were Gladys Hazel Harris and Ralph Doyle. At an early age Dortha learned to be flexible, as times were tough. When Dortha was about 2 years old she and her mother left and hitch-hiked to the Texas valley where all of Gladys’ family were. That is where Dortha's mother met and married the very handsome and dashing Clyde Prevost. He loved his new family and little girl, and insisted on adopting her, so she became Dortha Prevost. He was from a beautiful french family with many brothers and sisters, and they all took my beautiful mother in and treated her as their own. To this day they always tell the story about what a very sweet and beautiful little girl she was with her cold black hair, that was always in banana curls. And as she grew up with them, how much fun they had with great memories to hold in their hearts to this day. Dortha graduated from Pt Arthur High School in Texas . She then moved with her parents to Austin , where they built a darling Texas style craftsman house. When Dortha was 18 years she moved out with her best friend Berniece, and they worked for Scarborough 's (like Nordstroms). Dortha was spotted for her Ava Gardner looks, and began modeling for them. She was having a ball, and then Berniece introduced her to Sgt Herbert Ernest Galler, nicknamed “Cotton,” for his snow white hair. Herbert fell in love with her, and so did his very large swedish family. So, they married and Dortha became an Army wife. Her new career began and her daughter Deborah was born. In this marriage she traveled to many US Bases....Ft Riley, Kansas to Ft Hood, Texas and then on to Europe.....Frankfurt and Darmstadt Germany . She also visited Paris , France , Holland , and Austria . When returning to the states, Dortha felt that she needed to end her 14 year marriage. Back in Austin again, she was with her good friend, Jess Marie, and was introduced to Sgt Duane Spotts (she loved those men in uniform). They were married and again she was back on the road. With the US Air Force they lived in California and the Philippines (Clark AFB). After 2 yrs at Clark, the “3 D's” left for the states, this time on to Washington State , where Duane was stationed at Mc Chord AFB. Duane was sent TDY (AF lingo) to SE Asia , for a year. Dortha discovered “Sweet Adeline/Barber Shop” quartet singing, she was on cloud nine, back in her element from 1973-‘78. Reborn and back singing her first love, she made many life-long friends, and got to travel to many competitions. It was FUN, FUN, FUN! Part of the continuing fun lead her to Unity Church of Tacoma, where she became a member from 1978-present. She served on the church board for many years and was a member of the Unity Choir. Also, for the past 2 years Dortha became a member of the “Young at Heart Lakewood Chapter Of Red Hat Society.” She absolutely loved all of the social gatherings and the sisterhood that each and everyone upheld with one another. Dortha's work/career was civil service which had been perfect with living abroad and traveling, this finally landed her with the AF Reserve 447th Flight Squadron, Mc Chord AFB, again connecting her with travel and men in uniform. This is where, after divorcing Duane Spotts, she met Full-Bird Col George Bocci, the love of her life, they were an item (4 1/2 yrs) until his untimely death January 30, 1981. On May 21st, 1980 another love of her life was born, her grandson, Nicholas Dominique Mancaruso. She was so very tickled and proud to be a grandmother. She was dubbed Nonie, (her late love George Bocci called his Italian grandmother Nonie). The birth of Nicholas created the cheering jugernaught known as “Soccer Grandma.” Dortha was at every soccer game that Nicholas participated in regionally and nationally for a good twenty one years. When Nicholas was in his teens, Nonie would go out of her way for any of Nicholas’ friends that touched foot in her house. She would insist that everyone was stuffed to the gills and properly hydrated with a wide range of food and fluids. This created quite the ordeal and every one of Nick's friends would brag about the ongoing feast and the loving atmosphere at Nick's grandma's house. She is survived by her loving daughter Deborah Galler, grandson Nicholas Mancaruso (who she thought hung the moon, the stars, and the sun), and her brother Gary Prevost of Austin , Texas . Gary has a beautiful wife, Sissy, and two beautiful daughters Pam and Vicki, numerous Aunts, Uncles, and cousins throughout Texas and California , as well as many friends. We have been receiving phone calls of condolences from all over the country do to her travels throughout the world. She was loved and will be missed.......And her dear little four legged children. Minnie (they shared the same birthday) Coco Chanel, and the Honorable Dapper Hershey all are lost without her. Life for her was a Journey not a destination............. Come Celebrate Her Life!!! Her Memorial Service is July 11, 2009 in Tacoma , at Unity Church , 2102 SO 23rd, at 6 pm. In Lieu of flowers (although she loved them), contributions could be made in her name to a 501C 3 that has been in existence since 1956, Pierce County Animal Welfare Association, PCAW, 8504 Chambers Creek Road W., University Place, WA 98467-4005, 253-564-7797.