Dorothy Spain

To say Dorothy Spain was the most kind, loving, generous, and compassionate person on earth is somehow an understatement. Her love for family and friends was on full display every day of her life. Her children always admired how she could wake up every morning with a positive outlook and conduct herself with such grace…a legacy that will live on for generations. As a lifelong Catholic, she demonstrated all the qualities that she believed in, especially the love and respect towards her fellow man. She was an unbelievable role model and admired for her quite strength. She was simply the best!

Dorothy was a devoted wife for almost 65 years to Donald Spain, a loving mother to five children, a doting grandmother to eleven, a positive spirit to three great grandchildren, and a loving mother-in-law to three. She grew up in Detroit with her parents and four siblings and often shared fond memories of those times in her life. The bond with her youngest sister, “Sissy,” is truly love everlasting. She met Donald at a local gas station, where he was an attendant, and they instantly fell in love. They married in 1955 and lived in Detroit until 1970 when they moved to Adrian, MI to raise their children through high school and college. They eventually moved to Kalamazoo in 1998 to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren. When asked how they successfully raised five children in these times, Don would simply say, “You need to start by marrying someone named Dorothy.” That statement says it all, as he realized that she was the true matriarch of the family…our everything.

Dorothy loved the simple family life and enjoyed camping, traveling, sightseeing, and soaking up the sun wherever she could find it. She loved to read novels, complete daily crossword puzzles, and cross stitch very elaborate designs that will be shared by family every holiday season. Dorothy developed a keen sense of humor over the years and was not afraid to laugh at herself. This was evident the last days of her life where her children used humor to engage with her and she would respond with silly hand gestures. Her mind and spirit were intact to the very end…a memory we will always cherish.

In typical fashion, Dorothy did not want a service or celebration to call attention to herself. If so desired, please make donations to Parkinson’s Foundation. Visit Dorothy’s webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com to archive favorite memories, photos, and sign her guestbook. Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo. (269) 375-2900.