With great sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother on July 22, 2012 at the age of 86, after succumbing to cancer. Dottie was born May 22, 1926 in Long Beach, CA to Henry and Harriett Smith. After a childhood she always described as wonderful, Dottie graduated from Jordan High School in 1943. She married the love of her life, Charles Adams, on March 9, 1947, and settled down in Torrance, CA in 1949, never moving from their "first home." During World War II, Dottie proudly worked as a "Rosie the Riveter." After leaving Vultee Aircraft, she operated elevators at the Long Beach Hilton Hotel---a job she loved, since it allowed her to meet dashing military officers. Later in life, she worked for Gentelco Credit Union in Long Beach where she retired after more than 20 years. In retirement, Dottie busied herself with family and friends, traveling, gardening, cooking (no magazine recipe was safe from her scissors), and volunteer work. She especially enjoyed volunteering at Torrance Memorial Hospital, where she provided 17 dedicated years of service, until the time of her death. Dottie had three daughters who brought her much joy, and it was devastating for her to lose her eldest, Sandy Gonzales, to cancer in 2004. She was also preceded in death by her husband, after 50 years of marriage, in 1998. In addition to her daughters, Sharyl Page (John) and Stephanie Jacobsen, she is survived by grandchildren Paul Gonzales (Khiana), Bryan Knox (Andrea), Michelle Gonzales, Josh Page (Letta), Jon Gonzales (Kerry), Jenny Hampton (Jason), Jennifer Knox, and Anthony, Gabriel, and Armando Jacobsen. She took pride in being a great grandmother to Shane and Seger Hampton, Ana Sofia Gonzales, and Mady Barleben. Services will be at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Lomita, CA on Monday, July 30, 2012 at 10:00 A.M., followed by interment at Rose Hills Cemetery in Whittier, CA. While flowers are appreciated, donations may also be made to the American Cancer Society. Please access www.halversonstonemyers.com for details.
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