Zetta Rachel Dowdy

February 19, 1951 - December 10, 2025

Zetta Rachel Dowdy, a Tucsonan for more than 60 years, was originally born in Paris, Tennessee.  She moved from the South with her parents to Tucson in early childhood.  Zetta’s father, known as Dalton Dowdy, served in the armed forces during WWII. His love for God and country and his creative and mechanical abilities are known to have influenced Zetta’s own artistic talents. As a child, Zetta enjoyed camping and fishing with her dad, where the beauty of southwestern scenery, vegetation and wildlife was imprinted on her soul, and was later revealed in her paintings.  Her mother Mabel, was known for being a strong, loving and a hard-working influence.  Mabel also cared for the home, and the children of others. Later in life she worked as a Hospital Housekeeper.  She was a God loving, Bible believing Baptist, whom Zetta cared for in her final days, until her passing.  Zetta also had an adopted sister.

It was sometime during childhood that Zetta became a born again Christian. She loved God and His word, and in early mid- life even went to Bible College.  A few years later, she met a significant life-long friend who became like family.  She was also an artist in interior design who encouraged Zetta to get painting!  Prior to Zetta’s folk art painting journey, she spent time in Washington DC as a nanny, and later as a courier.

For several years, Zetta had a small niche located inside Copper Country Antiques store, where she sold her whimsical regional art to local, national and foreign customers.  Zetta Dowdy’s art today has been displayed and sold in Gallery H, located in Tubac, Arizona.  Her art was also hosted in the Jeff Tabor Art Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Zetta also lived in Southern Nevada for a short period of time.  There, she became a member of an Arts Council and painted, displayed and sold her art in a local cafe. Several months prior to her death, Zetta was selling her art to many new collectors through Facebook Marketplace.

“It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

Also, for a number of years, Zetta lived in a small apartment, she also used as her art studio on Fifth Street in the Tucson Arizona University area.  Often during the Christmas holiday season, she would leave some of her selected paintings with gospel tracts for passersby to take around her neighborhood with prayerful hopes someone in need of salvation would truly find Jesus, and also enjoy her art.  Zetta was always giving away her precious unique-style art, and serving family, friends, co-workers, and the local church throughout her lifetime.

For Zetta’s final resting place, she chose to go back to her southern roots.  She was very much inspired by Karen Wheaton’s Ministry message shared on “the dash between the birth and death dates on the headstone is what matters the most.”  She will soon be buried in Hamilton, Alabama at Love Joy Cemetery.

Zetta desired her headstone to include the following Bible verse:

“To live is Christ ~ To die is gain.” Philippians 1:21