Dorothy "Dot" Lane Rippee

Dorothy was born July 1, 1937 to Letcher Thompson Lane and Josephine Greer Lane. From the very beginning, Dorothy had something special about her. She was a true natural beauty inside and out. Her mother and father thought she was beautiful as a young girl, but they knew others saw the same thing when their little girl became the Pet Milk Baby in 1938. Her baby picture was literally seen all over the South as she became the baby spokesperson seen on the Pet Milk cans in all the grocery stores. Growing up she always had the ability to light up any room she entered. If you asked Dot what she thought, you better know she was going to be completely honest. She was not one to sugar coat, and you would definitely say she told it the way it was. If you did not want the truth, then don’t ask Dorothy. Dot was the third born of seven children born and raised in North Memphis. Her daddy worked for Firestone Tire and Rubber, and her mother was a stay at home mom. Being the oldest girl Dorothy took on many maternal roles while helping with her younger siblings. She was educated in Memphis City Schools, and graduated in 1955 from Humes High School. Later in June of that same year she married her one and only love, Lloyd “Rip” Edwin Rippee. She and Lloyd met when she was just 15 years old, and fell madly in love. Lloyd went into the Army in 1953, and they wrote each other daily until his return in 1955. On June 24th 1955, Lloyd married his young bride in a private ceremony in Charleston, Mississippi. They had one daughter, Tracy Dawn Rippee Langford, born to their union.Both Lloyd and Dot were committed to hard work and each other. Lloyd and Dorothy retired after long and dedicated careers to Shelby County Schools. Lloyd was foreman in the plant maintenance department, and Dot worked in the Special Education department. Lloyd passed on January 6, 2005, just six short months of his and Dot’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. The last eight years Dot has talked lovingly of her wonderful husband and their happily ever after life that they lived together. She has waited patiently to join him. On Saturday June 9th, 2013, she was reunited with her beloved Rip in Heaven. Dorothy’s true legacy was her love of life, and her uncanny ability to find humor in mundane things. She encouraged all she knew to work hard, and save for a rainy day. She was predeceased by her parents, Letcher and Josephine Lane, her brothers, Letcher Thompson Lane, Jr., James Bluford Lane and Orville Ray Lane, and her sisters Bessie Jo Lane and Donna Gail Lane Henderson. She is survived by her daughter Tracy Rippee Langford, her son-in-law Daniel Langford, and the other love of her life, her grandson, Wade Langford of Bartlett, Tennessee. She also leaves her remaining sister Mildred Nell “Tiny” Lester and her brother-in-law, Lloyd Lester of Eads, Tennessee. Dorothy is also survived by her two remaining paternal aunts, Shirley Ann Humphreys Valentine of Memphis, Tennessee and Joy Laverne Humphreys Gilmore of Florence, Alabama. Tracy would have been unable to see after her sweet mother without the unwavering love and devotion of her sweet Aunt Tiny. Visitation and services will both be held at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 3700 N. Germantown Parkway, with a visitation on Tuesday, June 11 from 6-8 p.m., and the funeral at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, June 12, 2013.