Dorothy Ann (née Plaza) Bargerstock

Dorothy was born on November 16, 1945, in Wyandotte, Michigan, to Stephen Thomas Plaza, Sr. and Helen Plaza (née Matusky). Her childhood was spent in the company of close family, including her siblings, cousins, and beloved grandmother, Anna Matusky Levy (née Pisansky).

She graduated from Dearborn High School and married the love of her life, Burton Ray Bargerstock, on May 18, 1963. Together they built a life centered on family and raised four sons. The early years were a struggle for the young couple with long hours and tight budgets, but they worked hard and made a happy life for their children. Dorothy considered raising her boys to have been the great work of her life and she attended to it with a fierce and determined love.

A devoted homemaker for most of her life, Dorothy also held various part-time positions over the years. Throughout her life, she called several Michigan communities home, including Detroit, Dearborn, Southgate, Taylor, Ovid, and, most recently, East Lansing.

Dorothy had a lifelong love of mystery and crime stories – both fictional and real – and could often be found reading novels by David Baldacci, Patricia Cornwell, Simon McCleave, and Michael Connelly, or watching television shows like Murder She Wrote, Matlock, Diagnosis Murder, or old Sherlock Holmes films. With an inquisitive and sharp mind, she enjoyed unraveling means, motives, and opportunities, and reveled in matching wits with perpetrators and the detectives, lawyers, and others who pursued them. She brought the same investigative sensibility to other subjects as well and had intellectual interests in archaeology and zoology.

Cooking was another of Dorothy’s passions. Her extraordinary pierogi, gołąbki (stuffed cabbage), naleśniki (crepes), and chicken paprikash were favorites of family and anyone lucky enough to be invited to her table. She also excelled in soups and baking. Dorothy took pride in the art of making delicious and satisfying meals and valued time spent with others enjoying them. She was always looking for new recipes and continued experimenting with them until very recently. Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren will never forget her many efforts to teach them how to bake Christmas cookies, roll cabbage rolls, whisk batter for “thin pancakes,” and the like, with love in the heart and more than a little flour on the face.

Dorothy also jumped at opportunities to travel. In 1977, she and her husband bought a station wagon and led their kids on a now legendary cross-country trip to San Francisco. The stops throughout the west engaged her imagination and helped her better understand the country and her readings about Native American communities, culture, and history. Traveling always meant learning and adventure for Dorothy and Burt, and they saw as much of the U.S. as they could, making it from coast to coast and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. They later imparted this love of travel to their grandchildren, taking them on trips to see some of the country’s most beautiful national parks, and sharing books and photos of great places they had been. In her later years, Dorothy also traveled to Scotland and Ireland and spent a particularly memorable day in County Mayo hosted by community partners of Michigan State University. She would recall the people she encountered there as among the kindest and friendliest she had ever met.

Dorothy is survived by her four sons: Burton (Christine) Ashley Bargerstock of East Lansing, MI; Thomas (Sherri) Allen Bargerstock of Macomb Twp., MI; David (Betty) Scott Bargerstock of Grand Blanc, MI; and Jason Albert Bargerstock of Hazel Park, MI.

She is also survived by her cherished grandchildren: Burton (Mehgan) James Bargerstock of Holt, MI; Catherine (Jordan) Alison Meyers of Redford, MI; Grace Elizabeth “Eli” Bargerstock of Felton, CA; Lauren (Thomas) Ashley Howe of Trenton, MI; Preston Sevron Bargerstock of Burton, MI; Chelsea (Andrew) Ann Tomlin of Grand Rapids, MI; Nerrissa Nicole Hawkins of Taylor, MI; Abbie Rose Bargerstock of Inkster, MI; Hayden Christopher Bargerstock of Hazel Park, MI; and Audrey Renee Bargerstock of Inkster, MI; her beloved great-grandchildren: Alexandrea Lynn Hernandez and Haiden Denise Hernandez, of Holt, MI; Leon Thomas Howe, Azalea James Howe, and Daniel Moses Howe, all of Trenton, MI; and Killian James Meyers of Redford, MI; her sister, Beverly Jean DeRouchie (née Plaza); her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law: Sarah (Richard) Drews (née Bargerstock) of Lake Mary, FL; Diana Thomas (née Bargerstock) of West Bloomfield, MI; and Harland (Mary) Bargerstock of Taylor, MI; her nieces and nephews: Deanna DeRouchie of Jacksonville, NC; Shawna Melton (née DeRouchie) of Montrose, CO; Jessica Owen (née DeRouchie) of Allen Park, MI; Trisha Morrow (née Bargerstock) of Amarillo, TX; James Lockwood of Chesterfield Township, MI; Cheryl Lenzen (née Lockwood) of Saint Augustine, FL; Debra Lenzen (née Walker) of Highland Township, MI; Christin Hepner (née Walker) of Indio, CA; Sean Bargerstock of Livonia, MI; Justin Bargerstock of Allen Park, MI; Brandon Bargerstock of Taylor, MI; Ryan Bargerstock of Taylor, MI; and Kelly Bargerstock of Taylor, MI; along with many cousins and members of Dorothy’s extended family, including Fred and Barbara Leyba of Ocala, FL; William Falconer of Taylor, MI; and Sahar Mahmood of Okemos, MI.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 52 years, Burton Ray Bargerstock, who passed away on August 20, 2015; her brother and sister-in-law, Stephen Thomas Plaza, Jr. and Christine Plaza; her father-in-law Burton Arley Bargerstock; her mother-in-law Ada Irene Bodziak (née Stiers); her brother-in-law Albert Bargerstock; and her parents, Stephen and Helen Plaza.

The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to the physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals at Sparrow Hospital for their compassionate care over many years, with special appreciation to Dr. Gordan Srkalovic and the Medical Oncology team for their exceptional dedication and kindness.

Despite many years of battling cancer, Dorothy was a survivor, and authentically herself until the very end. She fought her battles fiercely, and loved her family the same way, never giving up. In accordance with Dorothy's wishes, no funeral service will be held. In lieu of a service, the family asks those who knew her to share their stories or fond memories of Dorothy as they honor her life the way she lived, full of love.