Dorothy Carolyn DeDee

Dorothy Carolyn DeDee, 86 of Kalamazoo, passed away on Wednesday, February 21, 2024. She was the daughter of Gladys (Baumgardt) and Christian Born, born on February 19, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York.

She graduated from Lynbrook High School in 1956. While in high school, Dorothy was employed part time by Al Wansor’s Lynbrook Music Center and in the summers, she worked for the New York Telephone Company at Long Beach. She moved to Kalamazoo in 1957 where she was employed by Michigan Bell Telephone Company as a long-distance telephone operator. She attended KVCC and later earned a National Science Certificate from the Life Science Institute.

Dorothy was united in marriage to Bruce DeDee in 1974. 

Her interests include playing the guitar and drums, tennis, and especially racquetball. She was a member of the Kalamazoo Track Club and the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club. Dorothy also enjoyed writing and photography. She attended Zion Lutheran Church where she volunteered for Loaves & Fishes; she also attended Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church in Schoolcraft. 

She is survived by her loving husband, Bruce; their daughter Danielle DeDee of East Lansing, MI; a son from her first marriage, Jeffrey (Janis) Park of Glendale, AZ; sister Nancy Goodwin of Grawn, MI; several nieces and nephews; and lifelong friend Joan Uhlich Forino. She was preceded in death by her parents and sister Jane (Richard) Hannon.

A memorial service will be held for Dorothy at Zion Luther Church 2122 Bronson Blvd. Kalamazoo, MI 49008 on Thursday, March 21, 2024. Friends are invited to greet the family from 10:00 am until 11:00 am when the service begins, a luncheon will follow the service at church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in honor of Dorothy may be directed to Zion Lutheran Church or Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church 9300 West XY Ave. PO Box 517, Schoolcraft, MI 49087. Please visit Dorothy’s memorial webpage to share memories and condolences with her family at https://www.Langelands.com