Tuesday, May 11, 2010

DoDo The Great



Our family is very saddened as my grandmother, "Grand DoDo", passed away on Saturday.  She would have been 89 on the 23rd of this month.  Her body just started shutting down - her heart wasn't pumping efficiently and her kidneys began to fail.  Thankfully this began only a few short months ago and she was still feeling good and enjoying everyday life until very recently. I was privileged to be with her daily and help my mom and dad care for her these last couple of weeks.  As her kidneys began to shut down she began to become very swollen.  Her "Pray for Forester" bracelet on her arm began to cut off her circulation so we asked if we could take it off.  She said "no, I'll never take that off" and she hadn't since the first day she put it on & it was on when she died.  Precious!  We have it saved in a special place.  She loved her children, her grand children and great grand children with a passion.  She has lived with my parents for the last 4 years or so and passed away in the comfort of her own home and bed surrounded by loved ones.  She was amazing and we miss her so.  We are so thankful to know that she is completely whole and free with the Savior!

Obituary below.



Dorothy M. Slade


Dorothy M. Slade, 88, a native and long time resident of Evansville, Indiana, passed away Saturday, May 8, at her home in Seabrook Island, South Carolina, following a brief illness. 

Dorothy Slade, known as Dodo, Grandodo and Great Grandodo to friends and family, was born May 23, 1921 in Evansville to Ralph and Lillian Burchfield.  She graduated from Bosse High School and attended Indiana University, then supported the WWII war effort as a clerk in the rations office.  She later worked with her husband at Jack Slade Realty.

In 1943, Dorothy married John T. Slade and became mother to a son and daughter, and the adoptive mother of dozens of cocker spaniels and lhasa apsos — the couple shared a hobby of breeding and showing dogs.

Dorothy was a St. Mary’s Hospital Pink Lady and a volunteer at Little Sisters of the Poor.  She was an enthusiastic fan of University of Evansville basketball, Davidson College football, Atlanta Braves baseball and the NFL.  She was an avid bowler, bridge player and Scrabble player and worked the daily crossword puzzle in ink.  She was a lifelong member of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church, where she was baptized nearly 89 years ago.  She loved the ocean and spent the last four years of her life living beside it in her home near Charleston, SC.

She is survived by a daughter, Susan S. Brown of Seabrook Island, SC, and a son, Gordon B. Slade of Stone Mountain, GA.  “Grandodo” was dearly loved by her grandchildren: Parker Slade, Whitney Bradburn, Katherine Swaney, Brandon Slade and Forrest Goodyear-Brown.  She recently said that her favorite music was the voices of her great-grandchildren: Anna Slade, Madison Goodyear-Brown, Slade Bradburn, Sam Goodyear-Brown, Forester Bradburn, Jackson Slade, Micah Bradburn, Jack Swaney and Nicholas Goodyear-Brown.

She is also survived by her beloved sister-in-law, Isabelle Burchfield, by nieces Marty Slade Perlman and Ann McCutchan Osuch, and nephews John Burchfield, Dean Burchfield, Bryan Slade and Tom Slade. A nephew, David Carlton, died in 1972.

Dorothy was predeceased by her husband and by her sister, Betty McCutchan, and brother, Jack Burchfield.

A mass for Dorothy Slade will be said at St. Benedicts Catholic Church on Friday, May 15 at 9:00 a.m. with burial to follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Alexander Funeral Home – East Chapel, 2115 Lincoln Ave. in Evansville.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions may be made to a fund that helps to pay medical bills for Dorothy’s great-grandson, who is being treated for a brain tumor: The Forester Fund, 114 Sugar Magnolia Way, Charleston, SC 29414, or  http://thebradburns.blogspot.com

Condolences may be made online at  http://www.alexandereastchapel.com