IN LOVING MEMORY OF

Dorothy M

Dorothy M Overholt Profile Photo

Overholt

Feb 10, 1923 — Feb 11, 2014

Obituary

Dorothy Mary Overholt passed away peacefully at the age of 90 in Vero Beach with her loving family around her on February 2014 following a 4 month battle with multiple strokes. She was born in Boston Mass on the 10th of Feb 1923 and grew up on a farm in Canton, MA. In 1943 at the age of 20, she enlisted in the Coast Guard as a SPAR and was proud to be in the first group of women to do so. She is survived by her younger brother Robert Guerrin, daughter Susan Prock, her oldest, followed by her three sons Ron, the wisest, Tom, most handsome and loved by all, and Kenny, mom's youngest and her favorite. She has 5 grand kids, Richie, Christine, Ryan, Jessica, Colby, and 5 great grand kids.

She was preceded in death by her father Thomas Santos Guerrin, and her mother Dixie Mary Dougherty. The great tragedy of her young life was the early death of her older brother Tom Guerrin at 15. Also preceding her was our dad Kent Morgan Overholt. Dad was an Officer in the Coast Guard in 1944 when they met and 2 months later married in Saint Augustine while she was working at the Navy's training base. A year later with my sister on the way mom got an early discharge and in the next eight years had three kids and thought she was done, but 10 years later along came my little brother who replaced me as the youngest and new favorite.

When mom was 42 they moved on to an old 65 foot yacht named the "Muriel" for three years to be near dads work while in Florida. Living on the boat was an exciting time for us kids. Shortly after that we moved to California. Ron stayed behind and eventually went into the Air Force. Mom loved trying new things and shortly landed a job as an Interior Decorator while Dad worked for Petroleum Engineering. Sue married and moved out. After 5 years of city life dad decided they should move to the country. In 1970 they bought 50 acres on the Little Applegate river in Oregon where mom finally got her beloved organic garden, along with chickens, pigs, and two horses. She helped managed our families heavy equipment construction company while keeping her sons well fed and out of trouble. Ron finished his tour in the Air Force and moved back and built a home with his wife and became a partner in dads business. The family was complete again with the exception of our city loving sister. Mom was living her dream. We will never forget those days we spent as a family picking blackberries and catching rainbow trout down at the river. Man, were those pies and cobblers good.

Five years later, 1975 was the last time we all lived together. Ron moved to the East coast to pursue a flying career and I moved back to California and college. Divorce was in the wind, and 33 years of marriage was over, or was it. She embarked on a 35 year career in Real Estate becoming a Broker in 1978, her last sale was here in Vero Beach at the age of 86. She did take a year off on a whim in 1990 to be a house mom in a fraternity at Texas University and got back with dad when he got cancer and lived with him for his final two years. In 2011 she was bored and at 87 passed the Series 6 Securities License so she could sell insurance.

She was healthy until the day of her stroke. She had a great sense of humor and loved a good laugh. She belonged to a writers club and would have many corrections for my effort here, but would have loved this OBIT for its lack of conformity. She was loved by her family and had many friends. When she was mad instead of swearing she invented her own language which she said was Italian but was not. And when she was excited or mad at one of us boys she would run through the list of names, "Ronnie, Tommie, Kenny, whatever your name is" . You would just stare at her in disbelief and she would explain that we only have one mom but she has three boys. She was a health nut way before it was popular and could quote Adele Davis verbatim. I can remember drinking lots of carrot, beet, and celery juice with breakfast, and she still has that Acme juicer. There was never white bread, white sugar, or whole milk in her house. A white bread PBJ at my friends house was a decadent secret you were wise to keep.

She had a funny habit that started on the boat and stayed with her till the end. Each night, after everyone was in bed she would yell out to the last one up,"did you check the stove". And after the reply "yes mom", she would always question "Off, Off Off Off?" and you were obliged to reply again with exasperation "yes mom, Off, Off, Off, Off". And so we say God speed mom, you did your job and kept us safe, and for the final time, yes mom, there Off Off Off Off.

Arrangements by Cox Gifford Seawinds Funeral Home & Crematory. www.coxgiffordseawinds.com
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