Priscilla Ann Dordell

Priscilla Ann (Pris) Dordell, longtime Mesa, AZ resident, died on August 9, 2026, at the Alta Mesa Rehabilitation Center after a brief illness. She was 86. Preceded in death by her beloved husband, Wayne P. (Tim) Dordell, long-time managing partner of the Hansen Dordell law firm in St. Paul, MN, who died in 2011 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. On December 17, 2010, they celebrated 50 years of marriage. In 1960, they honeymooned in Chicago for a weekend, Tim picking a Blackhawks-Red Wings hockey game for Friday night, Pris picking a Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert for Saturday night. Pris was also preceded in death by her parents, the Rev. Merland T. Johnson and Evelyn I. Johnson; her parents in-law, Jeanne C. and Paul F. Heuser; and her sister, Gloria J. Oas. She is survived by her three children: Timothy P. Dordell (Kirk Ballard), Golden Valley, MN; Robyn A. Bedgood (Joe), Gilbert, AZ; and Christoffer J. Dordell (Jason Fenske), Palm Springs, CA; and her four nieces and nephews and their children. She is also survived by her two grandchildren, Mackenzie A. Bedgood and Zachary J. Bedgood, who reside in the Phoenix metro area. Pris was born in Greenbush, MN and grew up in Marshall, MN. She graduated from Marshall High School in 1958, attended St. Olaf College for two years before marrying, and returned to school several years later, earning B.A. and M.A. Degrees in Elementary Education from Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN. She taught kindergarten and second grade for more than twenty years at Forest Lake Elementary School in Forest Lake, MN, carrying a picket sign one fall when the district’s teachers went on strike. She loved teaching and touched the lives of countless students with her passion, creativity and generosity, often using her own resources for extra supplies and special activities. The Dordell family enjoyed many years of camping at state campgrounds and national parks. Later, the tents, pop-up campers and pull-behind trailers gave way to lake homes on properties in northern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Pris (“Mrs. Wayne Dordell”) was a member of the Mrs. Jaycees of Roseville, MN and, in that role, served as a hostess in a hot-pink pantsuit at the grand opening of the Rosedale Shopping Center in 1969, a venue that would become a family favorite in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Musically talented, Pris enjoyed singing and playing the piano, at home and for her students, throughout her life and, earlier, played the clarinet and French horn. Despite several moves in the Twin Cities and, ultimately, to the Phoenix area for their retirement years, Tim and Pris maintained their church membership at Como Park Lutheran Church in Falcon Heights, MN. In retirement, Pris focused her attention on her beloved grandchildren, Kenzie and Zach, volunteering at their schools, attending school functions and celebrations, hosting sleepovers in Grandma and Grandpa’s casita, and missing very few soccer and baseball games over the years. She was an avid and competitive golfer and bridge and backgammon player, enjoying those games with Tim and their extensive circle of friends over the course of their long marriage. She proudly maintained her residence at the Golden Hills Golf Club, Mesa, AZ, living independently until her final days. Private funeral services have been held. Burial will take place at the Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN. Memorials may be directed to a charity of your choice focused on education.