Dorothy Weempe Hyde

Dorothy Weempe Hyde, 94, died peacefully on January 19, 2024, in Houston, Texas, due to complications from COVID-19 and influenza. She was born on October 11, 1929, in Waco, Texas, to Sam Weempe and Alta Merritt Weempe.

Dorothy grew up in Dallas, attending Sunset High School, and furthered her education at Texas State College for Women (now Texas Woman's University) in Denton, Texas. After college, she moved to Houston, where she met her husband -to-be, R.B. "Buddy" Hyde. Often described as "elegant," Dorothy was a kind and gracious person who always looked for the positives in others. A natural beauty, tall and slim, she modeled in her early twenties.

Shortly after they were married, Dorothy and Buddy had a son, Steven Burke, in 1957, and a daughter, Susan Illene, a year and a half later. Tragically, both babies died within two days of birth. In 1960, they adopted a daughter, Julie, and then had another daughter, Karen. Julie's death at the hands of a drunk driver when she was 44 years old left a permanent hole in Dorothy's heart. We hope that Dorothy has joyfully reunited with the three children she lost.

Throughout their 40-year marriage, Dorothy was a loving wife and ultimately a patient caregiver to Buddy. She loved her family, including her children, grandchildren and great-grandson, completely, selflessly and unconditionally. She never turned down a babysitting opportunity, and no one could ever leave her presence without her beckoning them to "be careful."

A believer in giving back, she made a significant impact through volunteering. She served as president of the Leukemia Society's Gulf Coast Chapter and the Watercolor Society of Houston, and volunteered countless hours at Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM)

In her free time, Dorothy was an accomplished seamstress, painstakingly hand-crafting everything from costumes for her kids to tailored suits and dazzling gowns for herself and her daughter Karen. She was also a talented watercolorist and found joy in creating and sharing for beautiful paintings of flowers and birds with others.

Over her lifetime, she developed a small but close-knit group of girlfriends with whom she kept in touch. She loved to socialize with her neighbor friends in Thornwood neighborhood in west Houston and was known for her warm and welcoming nature. An avid traveler, she explored the world on business trips with Buddy, often taking their kids along. Later in life, she enjoyed vacationing with her daughters and grandsons, and with her girlfriends.

Dorothy is survived by her daughter, Karen Hyde Abercrombie, and husband Jim Hovland; her grandchildren, Aaron Hehr, and wife Ayesha Lakhani, Burke Abercrombie, and wife Sarah Abercrombie, Cody Hovland and Casie Hovland; and her great-grandson, Kaiden Lakhani-Hehr. Additionally, she is survived by her niece, Debra Weempe Boerder, and husband Larry Boerder, and nephew, Donald Weempe, and wife Jane Weempe.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Sam Weempe and Alta Merritt Weempe, her brothers, Sammy Weempe and Sonny Weempe, her husband, Robert Burke "Buddy" Hyde, her daughters, Susan Illene Hyde and Julie De Rossi, and her son, Steven Burke Hyde.

The family wishes to express its gratitude to nurse practitioner Shuyan Bi, who skillfully and compassionately cared for Dorothy for many years, and to Elizabeth Garcia, Dorothy's extraordinary caregiver during the last two years of her life. (We love you, Elizabeth!)

A memorial service to celebrate Dorothy's life will be held on Thursday, January 25, 2024, at 3 p.m. at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas, 77079.

You may also visit https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/dorothy-hyde-obituary?id=54164144 to share memories of Dorothy.