Obituary of Dorothy Lee LaGant

Dorothy Lee “Dottie” LaGant was born November 23, 1941, in Toledo, Ohio. Her parents were Roman and Phyllis Warejko. To summarize who she was as a person, one would use the words “loving, caring, nurturing, focused, meticulous, good-hearted, spiritual, and generous.” She loved her husband, children, grandchildren, and siblings very much. She ended a seven-year battle with cancer and passed to her heavenly home on November 29, 2020, at 4:44 a.m. She often pointed out when the clock said 4:44, so it seemed significant that she passed at that time. She was comfortable in her own bed surrounded by flowers she had recently received for her birthday, tended to by family members who expressed love for her, sang to her, and caressed her.

Dottie had a very sharp mind right up until the end and a fierce fighting spirit. Her husband Larry passed in July, 2020, after four decades of health issues. His longevity was a direct result of her keen focus on every aspect of his care and well-being. Dottie received a nursing degree and attended the Bryman School in the 1970s. She worked in doctors’ offices in Orange County (Robyn Sanders and Mark Somers), California, for decades and utilized that knowledge in her care for Larry. She paid acute attention to every medication he took and the ways it affected his health. His doctors credited her with saving his life on numerous occasions. She applied that same scrutiny to everything in their lives. Despite decades of living solely on a fixed income of Social Security Disability benefits, their home was a comfortable, warm, welcoming environment. Hers is a textbook example of living beautifully within one’s means. This was due to her ability to research and analyze, and her impressive organizational skills. And it was all driven by her immense love and instincts as a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. Dottie found a way to make things work when many would have given up. She put a loving touch on everything she did. Her home was full of arts and crafts she created over the years. Her attention to her personal appearance and that of her husband was classy and an expression of her strength and inner beauty, mirroring the simple elegance of her home.

Dottie played piano beautifully by ear and had a lovely singing voice until it was damaged in an automobile accident. She loved music, especially traditional hymns. She enjoyed watching home improvement shows, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and The Price is Right. In her later years, she appreciated staying connected with loved ones on her personal tablet. She had a great sense of humor and liked to send people funny memes and cartoons, and cute videos of babies and animals. While social media can get quite intense, Dottie chose to focus on positive things and humor.

Although she was separated by many miles from her siblings, Dottie loved them and spoke often of them. She stayed connected to them as best she could and was fond of many memories she had of them.

In addition to being a caretaker for Larry through a daunting list of ailments he faced, Dottie was afflicted with painful fibromyalgia and hip ailments for many years. She was diagnosed with uteran cancer in 2013 and had a hysterectomy in which machinery was used that was later banned. This caused painful damage to her hips. A couple of years after that, she had her first bout with breast cancer. She underwent both chemo and radiation therapy and experienced many side effects. Initially, it was indicated that the cancer was gone, but she had a new diagnosis later that resulted in a mastectomy, which left her with painful wounds that never healed. This surgery did not stop all her cancer and in January of 2020 she was given the news that cancer had spread throughout her body and she was given six months to a year to live. Around this time, Larry was put back in hospice care. Dottie bravely continued to focus on him while trying to navigate the progression of her own illness. She valiantly endured her own pain while trying to alleviate pain in those around her.

An anecdote that sheds light on Dottie’s personality is something she did as she was being wheeled out of the house on a gurney on her last trip to the hospital about a week before she passed away. She glanced over at the neighbor’s house and saw a package on the ground in front of the door and called out, “Oh, can you grab that package for the neighbors so nobody takes it?!” That endearing quality of always looking out for others was something many people will remember about her. Various experiences she had early in life made her wary, and sometimes inhibited her from doing things she might have longed to do, but she compensated for that by fully taking control of the things within her reach. People often say it’s wise to “choose one’s battles” and it can be said of Dottie that she did that thoughtfully. She often worried more than she should, but that came from her sincere desire to do what was right and what was best, and a fear of “missing something.” She was a great example of a person whose heart was in the right place.

Dottie prayed often for her loved ones and the world, and she enjoyed scripture and sacred music. She looked forward to being with loved ones who have passed, an end to her suffering, and being in the presence of her savior Jesus Christ.  

Shortly before her death, Dottie was asked what message she would want to give people and she said, “I wish people would let go of petty, divisive stuff and focus on what really matters. I get so tired of the dumb things people put their energy into. Just enjoy each other and be good to each other. I think that’s what God wants.”

Dottie is survived by two sons, John Schaefer (Paco), and Michael Schaefer (Tracie); a stepson, Larry LaGant (Debbie); granddaughters, Ellie and Kylie; and step-grandchildren, Larry III, Shaleen, and Sheena; siblings, Jeanie, Jim, Joyce, Tom, David, and Terry; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins whom she loved very much.

The family wishes to express sincere gratitude to the Hospice Team at Providence St. Peter, Olympia. The hospital was very kind to both of them.  Anyone wishing to make a donation in memory of one or both of them is encouraged to do so one of three ways: 

1. Send a check payable to: St. Peter Foundation, 413 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98506.  Put Dottie’s and/or Larry's name in the memo section

2. Call the Foundation at (360) 493-7981 to donate by phone.

3. Donate at the website: www.providence.org/giving

Given that family and friends are spread to many parts of the country and with COVID surging, her children are considering an online memorial service in the near future. Dottie was very conscientious about the health and safety of her loved ones and expressed a wish for this rather than a physical gathering.

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