Dorothy Nelson Meeker

Dorothy Nelson Meeker of Cedar Park, Texas passed away on January 7, 2026 at the age of 96. She was born on February 16, 1929 in Waltham, Massachusetts to proud parents John & Lillie Nelson and was raised in Pennsylvania and Illinois.

She was the first woman in her family to attend college and graduated from Illinois State University with a double major. After working hard to put herself through school, she married Robert Meeker in 1951, also supporting him in his education.

She worked as a teacher for several years in Illinois and California before devoting herself to motherhood. As her three children began making their own way in the world, she used her experience and classic taste to start and run her own interior design and decorating business.

She was a talented seamstress, making everything from her own wedding gown to draperies for multiple houses. She was a devout Christian, participated in various Bible studies, and enjoyed watching multiple church services on television in her later years. She will always be remembered for having a sweet tooth and happy to have dessert each day after eating her vegetables. Dorothy frequently said she would spend her last nickel on travel, having visited approximately 30 countries in her lifetime.

She was preceded in death by her mother Lille (Engdahl) Nelson (1941), father John E. Nelson (1985), her brother Byron Nelson (1990), granddaughters Abbie & Annie Gamel (1995), her son Bradford Nelson Meeker (1996), and her husband of 56 years Robert Meeker (2008).

She is survived by her daughters Julie (Vince Rossi) Meeker and Laurie (Keith) Gamel, grandchildren Kristin (Chris Robinson) Gamel, Luciana (Scott Ford) Rossi, Kelsey Gamel, Sister Maria Amata Rossi RSM, Gina (Michael) Tinio, Jonathan (Kaitlyn) Gamel, Kirby (Grace) Gamel, Mackenzie (Jacob Gall) Gamel, and Trent Gamel, and great grandchildren Josephine, Chiara, & Karoline Tinio and Hank & Rory Gamel.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alam, Michigan (https://www.almamercy.org/), or Austin Siamese Rescue (https://www.austinsiameserescue.org/).

Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of life at Lakeline Oaks Retirement Community (1905 S. Lakeline Blvd Cedar Park, TX) on Sunday, January 18th, 2026, at 1pm. Visitation with the family will follow.)

Interment will occur on Monday, January 19 at 11am at Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery (14501 North IH-35 Pflugerville, TX).