Doris Jane Graves Chez was born October 29, 1930, in Sacramento. CA to Bayard and Elsie Graves. She went to join her husband of 66 years, Joe Chez, in heaven August 9, 2022, while family and friends surrounded her in her home in Sacramento, CA.
Joe and Doris reared three daughters and are survived by their growing family: Karen Edythe Chez and her husband, Eddie Babcock, grandson Brian Babcock, granddaughter Samantha Chez-Babcock McMullen, her husband Joe McMullen and great granddaughters Kayla, Paige and Sierra McMullen; Leslie Chez Tavernier and her husband Clayton Tavernier, grandson Joseph (JT) Tavernier, and granddaughter Kristine Tavernier; Alison Chez Bowman and her husband Michael Bowman, and grandsons Shawn and Vincent Bowman. Doris’ older sister, Alois Graves Hunter, is deceased, but Doris is also survived by Alois’ son, Kirt Hunter, and his son, Shawn Hunter.
A California native, Doris was reared by her parents, Bayard and Elsie Graves, on the acreage in Carmichael, CA which her paternal grandparents, Fred and Clara Graves, purchased from Dan Carmichael about 1913.
When Doris was only two years old, her parents and grandparents built a cabin at Wrights Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She loved spending time there in the rustic setting throughout her life, sharing the experience with her children and grandchildren including teaching them how to row a boat and chop wood. Doris enjoyed playing casual and competitive tennis based at Del Norte Swim and Tennis Club. In addition to singles, she often played mixed doubles with Joe, and she and Leslie were a top-notch Mother-Daughter doubles team.
Doris graduated from Carmichael Grammar School in 1944, as valedictorian from San Juan High School in 1948, from Sacramento Junior College in 1950, and from Stanford University in 1952. In 1953, she married her Stanford sweetheart, Joe M. Chez. After his discharge from the USMC, they settled in the Arcade area.
Doris’ life revolved around her family. She stayed home with the girls and was very involved with parent committees such as the PTA and Band for her daughters. Doris was a Girl Scout troop leader for Karen and Leslie. She took all three girls to dance, baton and other lessons and competitions, sewed school and tennis clothes and baton costumes, created decorations for the house, did her husband’s secretarial work, and designed the functional and comfortable home in which the family lived for over fifty years. She made her home a congenial gathering place, welcoming their daughters’ friends. She supported Joe in his home office with secretarial support.
It wasn’t until her youngest was in 7th grade that she put her Stanford degree to use and started working outside the home. She had various positions including a stint at the Sherriff’s office before landing at the Sacramento County Dept. of Voter Registration and Elections, where she retired in 1991 after 17 years.
Doris, accompanied by Joe as her assistant, gathered extensive research through traveling to various states to visit libraries, graveyards and to interview distant relatives, and collect old family letters. With this, she compiled a 3 volume genealogy for the family, which is now available for reference in the Family History Library in Utah, among other locations. Doris also accompanied Joe as his Magician’s Assistant to perform at shows for the grandchildren’s classrooms and community groups in the Sacramento area. Her sense of humor with her coy winks to the audience and feigned surprise at the outcome of the tricks sometimes garnered her roaring applause.
As their daughters were married with children of their own, Doris started the tradition of small annual family reunions so the relationships between the extended family would flourish.
Doris was a Christian, and served as an elder at Northminster Presbyterian Church and served as Treasurer for the church from 2001 – 2008.
Due to their planning (possibly with help from her degree in Economics), they were blessed with enough funds and wonderful caregivers (Tess, Nini, Losa and Connie) so she could spend and end her days in her home, which she had designed. Daughters, Karen, Leslie and Alison arranged visits so almost every weekend had at least one family member present. Her dedication and love to family proved a strong role model for the next generations.
A Celebration of Doris’ Life will be held at Northminster Presbyterian Church, 3235 Pope Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95821 on Saturday, October 22, at 1:30pm. Remembrances may be sent to Northminster Presbyterian Church.
The family will appreciate it if you could please share your stories/memories of Doris on this site (mountvernonmemorial.com) under Recent Obituaries, Doris Jane Graves Chez, Add a Memory.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.17