Doris Woods Hotaling

Doris Hobson Woods Hotaling, 95, passed away on December 25, 2013. Born and raised in Baldwin, Ks., she attended Baker University where she was a Zeta Tau Alpha. She recently received her 75 year pin as a Zeta. She married her high school sweetheart, Claire Green, and they moved to San Diego, Ca.

When Claire died in an auto accident she moved back to Kansas where she worked at Baker University to provide for her young child. She later married Jack Woods. Jack was an Army officer and they were stationed on Guam for some time. This started her love for travel and she enjoyed many trips around America and in Europe with family and friends. Jack and Doris had three children together before she was again widowed. She was the strongest woman you could ever meet. Left with 4 children, the oldest only eleven, she went into the real estate business in Kansas City, Mo. She was named the Missouri Real Estate Associations “saleswoman of the year”, because of her excellent record as a real estate woman, plus her civic activities and her integrity. She and Larry Hotaling, whom she later married, started Woods and Company Real Estate which they built into a well recognized company in the Kansas City area. She and Larry were members of Blue Hills Country Club where they built a home. They had a winter home in Sun Lakes, Arizona and were members of the Cottonwood Country Club and Ocotillo Country Club. She was an avid golfer and enjoyed playing bridge with her many friends. There was always a party at Doris & Larry’s.

She is survived by her children, Penny Watkins (Chuck), Pam Crawford (Bill), John Woods (Peggy Hart) and Jackie McDonald (John Turley).

She has 3 beautiful granddaughters, Karey Poe, Ann Korff (Stacy Caldwell) and Heather Thomas (Ronnie). Then the grandsons started. Robert C. Korff, IV, (Pamela) Sean Wolfe, Dustin Woods, (Carla) Jared Woods, Colby Woods, (Tina) Tanner Royster, (Cassie) Behren Royster (Kelly), Justin Chasey and Brendan Turley. And then one last beautiful granddaughter, Mallory McDonald. There are 29 years between the first grandchild and the last so she always had a baby around. And when the grandkids grew up the great-grandkids started coming.

She has seven great grandsons, eight great granddaughters and one more little girl on the way. She is also survived by her brother, Dale T. Hobson of San Diego. A brother, Dana Hobson, predeceased her.

Doris enjoyed intergenerational parties with her whole family. She was very proud of her Scottish/Irish heritage and especially loved it when her grandsons showed up in their kilts. She was a big Kansas City Chiefs fan.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, January 10th at11:00 a.m., at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 11822 Holmes, Kansas City, MO, with private burial that afternoon at Sutton Cemetery, Baldwin, Kansas. Please join the family after the mass at the church hall for lunch and to share memories. Visitation will be held Thursday, January 9th, at McGilley State Line Chapel, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN.