Dora Strong

Dora Strong was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her approach to her life and in her relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Realistic about life, she was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Dora was born on April 25, 1927 in Tehran, Iran. Her parents were Ivan and Miriam Tourkia. Dora was raised in Tehran, Iran. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life.

Growing up in the Tourkia household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Dora was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and she was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Dora was raised with two siblings. She had one older sister, Natalie and one younger sister, Katie. Dora was constantly involved in activities with her brothers and sisters. Dora and her siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Dora was always consistently loyal to her family.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Dora was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during her life. Since she disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw her own conclusions based on direct observation, Dora was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew her. She was committed to her friends and valued the trust she placed in them. It was not uncommon for Dora to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought her out for advice because she had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of her best friends were Helen Nas, Ruth Murboat and the Mendolia Family. Later in life, she became friends with her ladies from church, Ruth, Jo and Carmen.

Dora brought the same traditional values in her marriage to bear on how she raised her children. She was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in her dealings. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Dora was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Dora was blessed with three children, Bruce, Sharon and Karen. They were also blessed with three grandchildren, Christopher, Dru and Shawn.

Dora greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from her family. She was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Dora enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Dora was excellent at meeting deadlines. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Her primary occupation was homemaker and mother. Dora worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Dora liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her hobbies, where she was very methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Since she enjoyed her private time, Dora always tried to allocate a specific time for working on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were watching her Court TV shows and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Every night she would enjoy a cup of tea and a bowl of ice cream. Dora was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Dora was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of the Catholic Church for her entire life. She was a sympathetic woman who valued her beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Dora enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since she was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Dora appeared effortless. She enjoyed researching all of her examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where she traveled, Dora always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included going to the beach or anywhere with family.

Dora was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Dora’s favorites was Scamp, a Dachshund dog. They were best friends for 17 years.

She always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things she knew, so she was very confident in planning her retirement. She had begun the process early and had her retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, she found new pleasure in dining with family and going to Walmart or the .99$ store. Even in retirement, Dora continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in her new community and felt fulfilled.

Dora Strong passed away on February 17, 2011 at Inter Community Hospital in Covina, California. She is survived by her loving family. Services were held at St. Dorothy Catholic Church in Glendora, California. Dora was laid to rest in Oakdale Memorial Park in Glendora, California.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Dora Strong. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.