Obituary of Dorothy A. Cole

Dorothy “Dottie” A. Cole, 86, passed away November 19, 2017 at home in Olympia, WA. Born January 19, 1931 in Roswell, NM, she accepted Jesus as her Savior at the age of 11. She attended Roswell schools and Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. On June 3, 1952, she married 2/Lt. Thomas F. Cole, joining the ranks of Army wives. She moved 31 times over the next 37 years until her husband retired on January 1, 1989. During that time, they were stationed at Fort Knox, KY; Fort Hood, TX; Camp McGill Tokyo, and Camp Fuji, Japan; West Point, NY; Frankfurt, Fulda, Stuttgart, Butzbach and Vilseck, Germany; Fort Leavenworth, KA; Stanford University, CA; Washington, D.C.; Carlisle, PA; Fort Lewis, WA; Fort Irwin and the Presidio of San Francisco, CA. As the wife of a Major General and commander of three different installations, she enjoyed being involved in all areas of community life, and looking after the families of soldiers. She served as Honorary President of ACS, PWOC, CDC, Thrift Shop, Red Cross, and OWC. Over the years, she was volunteer in Thrift Shop in all areas, including manager/bookkeeper and Board president, and was in charge of organizing new thrift shops on two different installations. As a volunteer for the Red Cross, was active as a staff aid and helped in the blood bank. In Japan, she was in charge of the Japanese Brides’ School for the Red Cross, where Japanese women married to American soldiers were taught something of the American way of life, i.e, housekeeping, childcare, history, hygiene, geography and cooking. In Butzbach, Germany, she was instrumental in establishing the first Child Development Center, and an outreach program for dependents living off post. She pioneered the National Training Center at Fort. Irwin, where she helped establish Bible studies and organize the Christian Women of the Chapel. She served as a discussion leader in Bible Study Fellowship for 25 years, and served for many years in the Bright Hope nursing home ministry. She served as a volunteer in the USO. She was a proud member of the DAR, where she served as the Chapter Co-Chair of the National Defense Committee. She served as the secretary of the Parish Council of the Fort Lewis Main Post Chapel and as secretary to the Board of the Refuge Olympic Mountain Retreat and Conference Center. On December 31, 1988, she was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal by the Secretary of the Army. She has enjoyed every assignment, but her favorites were troop duty at Fulda, Butzbach, and the National Training Center at Fort. Irwin. She was President of Personal Property Claims, Inc., the business she and her husband established to help military families prepare household moving damage and loss claims. Her hobbies included painting, needlework, gardening, playing the piano, and reading. While residing in Olympia, WA, her life centered around her husband, her son and his family, Bible study, and activities at Main Post Chapel and Joint Base Lewis-McChord. She was the perfect wife who made the house a home. From the very first home after marriage, where she turned a rented attic apartment of a bedroom, bath, and a mini kitchen into a real home, she continued to love home building through all 31 household moves. She and her husband bought and sold five homes, lived in rented apartments on the local economy and in a variety of Army on-post apartments, and in some great and not so great Army houses. In all these many moves her philosophy was that “Home is where the Army sends you.” She lived by trust in her Lord with the continuing life-long motto, “Bloom where you’re planted.” Dottie is survived by her loving husband of more than 65 years, Thomas F. Cole; son, Thomas Cole, and his wife, Ronna; daughter, Jane Hutton, and her husband, John; grandchildren, Jennifer Waller, and her husband, Steven; Michael Cole; Brittany Hutton, Grace Hutton, and John Hutton IV; brother, George Zimmerman; and her beloved constant dog companion, Napoleon. She was predeceased by her parents; and sister, Louise Smith. Please leave memories of Dottie or condolences for her family in the Guestbook below.