Obituary of Dorothy Anderson

Mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend

August 1, 1929-July 18, 2021

Dorothy Mae (Allen) Hook Anderson died peacefully, in her home in Lexington Kentucky, July 18, 2021.

“Dot” was born in Pontiac, Michigan to Hugh Albert Allen and Arivella Mae (Baer) Allen, and was the third of their five children, Donald Allen of Garland, Texas, and the late Beatrice Allen Hahn of Whitehall, Michigan, Betty Allen Dorony of Ithaca, Michigan, and Hugh Allen also of Michigan.

Dot grew up in Alma, Michigan, with her mother, and four siblings, as her father died of cancer in 1934 when she was just five. They did not have a lot of money, so Dot babysat and did little jobs when she was young to help. The first one she remembered was helping a neighbor lady do household chores. When the lady needed her, she would place a handkerchief in her window and young Dot would know to go over to help. She was paid in coins, perhaps 10 cents an hour she remembered. Dot described herself as “shy” growing up, but she still had close friends and always charmed the boys. She played basketball on her high school team however considered herself to be too short. She graduated from Alma High School in 1947.

While working at a drug store soda fountain in Alma, Michigan, she met a young man (he would later be her brother-in-law, Dick Hook) who delivered ice cream to the store. He told young Dot (or “Freck” to many back then) that he would like her to meet his brother Charlie who was coming home from the Navy. The specifics of the story concerning their actual meeting have evolved with the decades, but young Dot met Charlie the handsome sailor and there were “sparks” just as his brother had predicted. Charlie told Dot that he might see her again the next day, and he returned to give her a ride home in his brother’s car. Their first date was going out for a coke, Dot said. Big brother Dick was there with them, but once the conversation was going fine, he excused himself to leave the two to get acquainted.

Charlie was more than four years older than Dot and had served as a mechanic on a Naval ship touring the Pacific. Dot had not left Michigan at that point, yet the two found common ground and fell in love. As Dot tells the story, many hearts were broken when Charlie was taken “off the market”. As the courtship progressed, they began talking about a future together and marriage. With that in mind, Dot decided to rent an apartment near her mother’s home, that they would later share. Charlie came with her to see it and that evening he popped the question. Charlie playfully tossed a diamond ring that was given to him by his mother and said something like “I guess we will be needing this ring now.”, but he did get down on his knee to finish the proposal. Soon after, when they struggled with family approval for wedding plans, because Dot was so young, they eloped to Angola, Indiana and were married on November 11th, 1948, in a small chapel in the Angola United Methodist Church.

Dot had a job as a “full set” bookkeeper for Redman Trailer Company. They recognized her accounting skills and business sense. They also recognized her beauty and poise, as she was featured on a company marketing piece as a model in one of their mobile homes. The ad was sent to LA to be used in for the movie the Long, Long Trailer. Always wanting a family, Dot and Chas purchased a small home in Alma, when she was pregnant for Lynda and in a few years, they had four children five ½ years apart; “girl, boy, girl, boy, just like I planned it” Dot would say. Dot left her career in bookkeeping to raise her children, and the couple moved to Porter, Michigan, a tiny, rural community with a one room schoolhouse, store, and Pure Oil Company (Charlie’s employer). They drove to nearby Alma for groceries and church on Sunday. They were a short drive from both of their parents as well and visited them regularly on the weekends.

Later, in 1959 Dot and Charlie moved their house (on a flatbed truck) to nearby Mt. Pleasant. They happily lived on the outskirts of the city, raising a family, making neighborhood friends, and buying a new, modern home in 1965. During the sixty’s Dot began to seek art as a hobby. She started with sketches, especially people (usually interesting faces from issues of Life Magazine). She worked in pastels, charcoal, and watercolor in the early years, improving quite rapidly, although mostly self-taught. She enrolled in classes and began to experiment with oil painting, often painting on simple canvas boards and Charlie would build frames for the best ones. After Charlie’s sudden death in a car accident (August 22, 1969) overcome with grief, Dot put down her art and focused on survival and raising four children, then ages 11-16, alone at the age of 40. Although they only had 20 years of marriage together, they had a happy life and a home filled with love.

After a year or so, Dot wanted to return to work, but her skills in bookkeeping were rusty and she felt overwhelmed. The Mt. Pleasant YMCA hired Dot, taught her new office skills and she returned to the working world part-time in office administration. Her self-confidence began to build again. During her years in Mt. Pleasant in the 1970’s Dot worked for Reusch’s jewelers and was briefly a consultant and model at a local bridal store. Dot was a good money manager and life was simpler then, so she paid off the house, and was resourceful enough that she managed to raise the children while only working part-time. Education was always important to their family, and the four kids managed to put themselves through college, and Dot was so very proud of each of them!

In 1971, Dot was introduced to Dr. Jackson Anderson, a Central Michigan University Professor and pioneer in the field of recreation and physical fitness. They dated for several years, before being married in Las Vegas, at “A Little White Chapel”, December 15, 1974. Dot gained three adult stepchildren that day, Robert (Sharon) Anderson and Rick (Carol) Anderson both of Minneapolis, and Linda Anderson of Michigan. Dot and Jack resided in Mt. Pleasant in her home, and were fortunate to travel extensively in the US, Europe, and Asia, until Jack’s retirement from CMU. Later they moved to Sarasota, Florida where Dot loved the winters in Florida, however, would spend summers in Michigan, always stopping for a long visit in Lexington, visiting her kids and grands as often as she could.

While in Sarasota, Dot reignited her passion for art and enrolled in various classes studying sculpting and glazing clay and porcelain. She also worked again in oil and water painting to a lesser extent again. She had the opportunity to display or sell her work, but preferred to keep the pieces herself, as each was unique. Dot made friends in the local art scene in Sarasota, and in “The Meadows” the neighborhood where she and Jack lived. She remained dear friends with Betty Comora, of Sarasota until her death.

While the local art scene and community friends kept her busy, her love of investments and money management drew her to work part-time for a local stock brokerage firm, well into her 70’s. At the same time Jack volunteered at a local hospital into his late 80’s, and the two maintained good health.

Dot’s family all have wonderful memories of visiting “grams” in Florida, swimming in the pool, fishing in the pond, hunting for shells and sharks’ teeth at Casperson Beach, Florida and driving out to the Sarasota beaches to see the sunset. While her family didn’t get to see her often enough in those years, each visit they had together was special. She was always up for an adventure.

In 2005, Dot called her daughter Lynda and discussed the possibility of moving to Lexington, KY where Lynda and Mary’s families reside. They were ecstatic at the idea of finally living closer to their mother after so many years and began looking for a place for them to live not too far away. A new condominium community, “Magnolia Run” was opening, and they thought it would be perfect, so Dot flew in to see a unit under construction and decided to buy. She customized it to her liking, they sold the Florida home and in January of 2006, Dot (at the age of 77) and Jack (age 91) moved to Lexington, to begin their last phase of their retirement. Dot was in good health and remained active.

With they move to Lexington, all Dot’s kids got to see her more often. Many traditions were started in Lexington too, including the Hook Thanksgiving’s that normally lasts for days, and a large party every August 1st to celebrate Dot’s birthday (although she would not acknowledge which birthday we were celebrating). Dot became an avid UK basketball fan, and eventually enjoyed UK football too. Well into her eighty’s Dot would attend games at Rupp Arena or gather at Lynda and Patrick’s, dressed in UK blue and she looked forward to every game. She also played cards, and BINGO at the club house in her neighborhood and made new friends. She enjoyed getting more involved with her grandkids and they adored her.

Dot was an incredibly loving person, mother and grandmother who always had time to listen without judgement. She valued everyone she met, unconditionally loved her family. A couple of years ago we bought her a “Portal” so she could chat face to face with family through Facebook. She loved every call that she received, and she was so excited to hear from grandkids and great grands alike. Dot was well known for her infectious laughter, her playful, often child-like nature, and deep love of family. She enjoyed traveling, going to Keeneland or a casino to play the slots, or taking a drive in the country. She was always up for going to a movie or out to dinner. Also, she loved her ice cream and always has. Charlie used to drive the family to get ice cream cones and although she liked a variety of flavors her favorites were orange pineapple and butter pecan. In her last years, she had ice cream every night without fail and she worried if she was running low. Dot kept informed about the world, read her newspaper daily, and always watched the news, as US politics were important to her. In fact, she voted in every election, because she believed it was vital to do so, and she remained a progressive thinker until the end. Even though she was not feeling well the day President Biden was elected, she hurried out of bed to celebrate, and was thrilled to see the election of the first women Vice-President in her lifetime. She remained glued to the TV all day and she was energized with new hope.

Many would describe Dot as a gentle, compassionate woman who was caring, vivacious and genuine. Dot had a quick, natural, intelligent type of humor. She was a master at double entendres and would watch your face to see if you got the meaning of her inference. She was witty, kind-hearted, and caring. For those who loved her she was and remains an unwavering light, and an enduring example of unconditional love.

Dot is survived by her children, Lynda (Patrick) McNamara of Lexington, KY, David (Sharon) Hook of Traverse City, MI, and Mary Hook of Lexington. She treasured her grandchildren Melanie Keeter of Charlotte, NC; Justin Hook (Ashley) of Lebanon, TN; Davidson Hook (James) of Charlotte, NC; Darius Allen Shariaty of Los Angeles, CA; Jared Hook of Charlotte, NC; Danielle (Francisco) Velázquez of Charlotte, NC; Katelyn (Jonathan) McNamara-Kays of Chapel Hill, NC; Shannen Bunton of Lawrenceburg, KY; Chaz Hook of Detroit, MI; Eryn McNamara of Nashville, TN and Lauryn McNamara of Lexington, KY. Additionally, Dot had nine precious great-grands, Madelyn, Carlee and Hunter; Liliana, Logan and Charleston; and Jackson, Carson and Owen, and baby girl, Attison Grace, on the way! Dot was preceded in death by her husbands, Charles Lee Hook and Jackson M. Anderson, and her son Mark Alan Hook of Weidman, MI.

The family wishes to recognize the incredible team of caregivers who helped the family look after Dot every day this past year. Thank you for your special loving care, Donna Knox, Teresa Reece, Yvette George, Cassandra Dukes and Gail Kilburn.

A celebration of Life gathering will be at Clark Legacy, 601 E. Brannon Road, Nicholasville, KY 40356 on September 11, 2021, from 3pm- 4pm followed by a service at 4pm.  Family members only from 2-3 pm. Interment will be in Mt. Pleasant, MI later, as it was Dot’s wish to buried next to her husband Charlie and her son, Mark Hook.

Memorials, in lieu of flowers, may be made in Dot’s honor to Bluegrass Care Navigators (Hospice) 1733 Harrodsburg Rd. Lexington, KY 40504.