Dorothy Louise Lawing

Dorothy (Dotty) Louise Wescott Lawing, 78, of Tallahassee, Florida, (formerly of Asheville, NC) passed away March 7, 2012, in Tallahassee.

She was born August 6, 1933, in Melrose, Massachusetts. She graduated from the Rhode Island College of Education and took additional classes at both the Canal Zone College, Panama, and at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, NC.

Dotty lived in many places throughout her life and enjoyed traveling to many other places as well. Her travels took her to visit family in Africa, England, France, Canada and Germany. She lived several years in the Panama Canal Zone and traveled to various Central American countries. Her stateside travels took her up and down the East Coast, traveling through the mid-western states and visiting family in Oregon, California, Texas and Arizona. She toured the Blue Ridge Mountains on Harley Davidson motorcycles, belonged to Studebaker and Volkswagen clubs, served as a Girl Scout leader or counselor, enjoyed early morning bird watching expeditions, traveled to square dancing events, planned visits to coastal light houses and found the time for quiet activities such as walking, reading and working on jigsaw puzzles. Always a number cruncher, Dotty followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming an accountant. She retired from the City of Asheville Accounting Department in 1998 and enjoyed most of her retirement years in Asheville, NC. Dotty resided at both the Cherry Laurel Retirement Community and the St. Augustine Plantation Assisted Living Facility. She made many friends at these locations and appreciated all of the support she received from the residents and staff.

A Life Celebration service will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, March 10, 2012, at the Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home 700 Timberlane Road. Family members will receive friends and relatives one hour prior to the service time and then invite attendees to a Life Celebration reception after the service in the MeadowWood Room of the funeral home. A private viewing will be held for family members only and for the scattering of her ashes. In lieu of flower arrangements, donations may be made to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tallahassee for a memorial in her honor or to the local chapter of the Girl Scouts of America.

Dotty is survived by her supportive soul mate, Joe Wakefield, Asheville, NC, and preceded in death by her late husband, Ormond Edward Lawing and her parents Albert and Margery Wescott. Other surviving family members include her sisters; Bette (David) Thomas of England and Laura Adams, Texas; her children, Lisa (Mark) Chandler, Oregon, Bonnie (Arnold) Abellera, Tallahassee, FL and Eric (Laura) Gunn, Arizona, plus her five grandchildren, one great-grandson, numerous nieces and nephews and her ex-husband, Landen H. Gunn, Jr. of Sarasota, FL.

Arrangements are under the direction of Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home, Tallahassee, FL.