Official Obituary of
Doretta Wagner Myers
April 14, 1944 ~ October 26, 2017 (age 73) 73 Years Old
Doretta Myers Obituary
The world lost a vibrant, beautiful and artistic woman when Doretta Wagner Myers died unexpectedly on October 26th, from a pulmonary embolism following knee replacement surgery. The trouble is you think you have time. Alas, her time was cut short. Everyone who knew Doretta hoped for more time with her. She was fun! Laughter and merriment abounded in her presence.
Proud parents, Anna May McHugh Wagner and Thomas Wagner, welcomed their firstborn child , Doretta Jane, on April 14, 1944 in Phoenix, Arizona where her father served as a flight instructor for the Thunderbird Unit of the Army Air Corps. The family relocated to Seattle following the war and then to Anaconda where Doretta was raised. She relished her upbringing in Anaconda and made many lifelong friends. Doretta graduated from Anaconda Senior High School and Eastern Montana College of Education. Following college graduation she taught school at Glasgow Air Force Base in northeastern Montana. It was there she met Airman John Hopkins, and they married in 1966. John was reassigned to Panama where she taught in a school for children of military families. Upon returning to the States they lived in Portland, Salem and Woodburn, Oregon where Doretta taught at Nellie Muir Elementary School. Doretta and John divorced, but she remained a close friend of his until his death.
In 1977, she went to work as a Capitol Guide in Salem. It was there she met Douglas Myers. They married in 1980, and moved to Portland where she taught for eight years at Irvington Elementary School. They subsequently moved to Salem where she pioneered an all-day kindergarten program at Mckinley Elementary School. At one point her principal had to initiate a lottery system for students to gain admittance, so great was the demand to enroll in her class. How she loved her students! Having no children of her own , she thought of her students in a very personal and special way, and closely followed them as they grew up. She took immense pride in their accomplishments. She taught all of them that they could be anything they wanted to be. As her husband and many friends have commented, going anywhere in Salem with Doretta required extra time so former students and their parents could give her a hug and update her on their lives.
Doretta was a beautiful woman inside and out. She had an infectious laugh and was always positive in her outlook on life. She loved classical and jazz music, old movies, interior design and gardening. She was a stylish dresser-coordinated , colorful and accessorized! She loved art of all kinds. While in Portland, she took classes at the Portland Art Museum where she became a J. Paul Getty Fellow. Her interests in art were extensive and were reflected throughout any house in which she lived.
Doretta loved to travel. She was immensely proud of her Irish heritage on her mother's side and toured Ireland with her sister and cousins. She also traveled to Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona and cities along the Rhine River. Doug and Doretta had spent the last several summers in Anaconda. Family and friends always looked forward to their arrival.
No matter how inclement the weather, Dorettta never missed a dog walk with Freddie, Henry and Liza, her King Charles Cavalier Spaniels. She was a wonderful hostess, great cook and fine wine connoisseur. She was a treasured aunt to her two nephews whose lives are forever enriched by her love, guidance and positive outlook. Her warmth, genuine friendliness and adventurous spirit will be missed by all those fortunate enough to have known her.
Doretta was preceded in death by her parents, Anna May and Tom Wagner, parents-in-law, Evelyn and Clayton Myers.
She is survived by and will be deeply missed by her loving husband of 37 years, Doug Myers; sister and brother-in-law, Wini and Chuck Stokke, Anaconda; nephews, Chris and Mike Stokke, Missoula; Doug's sons, Steven and Geoffrey (and Allison), Portland; grandson Justin; granddaughters Kelsey and Kennedy and great granddaughter Isabella, Portland; and her two spaniels, Liza and Henry.
A Celebration of her Life will be held in Salem on November 29.
Services in Anaconda will be held at the Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home on Friday, December 8, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. There will be one hour of visitation prior to the service. A reception will follow the service at the Copper Center Art Center, 401 E. Commercial.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Anaconda's Copper Village Art Center or the Anaconda Community Foundation.
107 Oak St.
Anaconda, MT 59711
107 Oak St.
Anaconda, MT 59711
Proud parents, Anna May McHugh Wagner and Thomas Wagner, welcomed their firstborn child , Doretta Jane, on April 14, 1944 in Phoenix, Arizona where her father served as a flight instructor for the Thunderbird Unit of the Army Air Corps. The family relocated to Seattle following the war and then to Anaconda where Doretta was raised. She relished her upbringing in Anaconda and made many lifelong friends. Doretta graduated from Anaconda Senior High School and Eastern Montana College of Education. Following college graduation she taught school at Glasgow Air Force Base in northeastern Montana. It was there she met Airman John Hopkins, and they married in 1966. John was reassigned to Panama where she taught in a school for children of military families. Upon returning to the States they lived in Portland, Salem and Woodburn, Oregon where Doretta taught at Nellie Muir Elementary School. Doretta and John divorced, but she remained a close friend of his until his death.
In 1977, she went to work as a Capitol Guide in Salem. It was there she met Douglas Myers. They married in 1980, and moved to Portland where she taught for eight years at Irvington Elementary School. They subsequently moved to Salem where she pioneered an all-day kindergarten program at Mckinley Elementary School. At one point her principal had to initiate a lottery system for students to gain admittance, so great was the demand to enroll in her class. How she loved her students! Having no children of her own , she thought of her students in a very personal and special way, and closely followed them as they grew up. She took immense pride in their accomplishments. She taught all of them that they could be anything they wanted to be. As her husband and many friends have commented, going anywhere in Salem with Doretta required extra time so former students and their parents could give her a hug and update her on their lives.
Doretta was a beautiful woman inside and out. She had an infectious laugh and was always positive in her outlook on life. She loved classical and jazz music, old movies, interior design and gardening. She was a stylish dresser-coordinated , colorful and accessorized! She loved art of all kinds. While in Portland, she took classes at the Portland Art Museum where she became a J. Paul Getty Fellow. Her interests in art were extensive and were reflected throughout any house in which she lived.
Doretta loved to travel. She was immensely proud of her Irish heritage on her mother's side and toured Ireland with her sister and cousins. She also traveled to Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona and cities along the Rhine River. Doug and Doretta had spent the last several summers in Anaconda. Family and friends always looked forward to their arrival.
No matter how inclement the weather, Dorettta never missed a dog walk with Freddie, Henry and Liza, her King Charles Cavalier Spaniels. She was a wonderful hostess, great cook and fine wine connoisseur. She was a treasured aunt to her two nephews whose lives are forever enriched by her love, guidance and positive outlook. Her warmth, genuine friendliness and adventurous spirit will be missed by all those fortunate enough to have known her.
Doretta was preceded in death by her parents, Anna May and Tom Wagner, parents-in-law, Evelyn and Clayton Myers.
She is survived by and will be deeply missed by her loving husband of 37 years, Doug Myers; sister and brother-in-law, Wini and Chuck Stokke, Anaconda; nephews, Chris and Mike Stokke, Missoula; Doug's sons, Steven and Geoffrey (and Allison), Portland; grandson Justin; granddaughters Kelsey and Kennedy and great granddaughter Isabella, Portland; and her two spaniels, Liza and Henry.
A Celebration of her Life will be held in Salem on November 29.
Services in Anaconda will be held at the Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home on Friday, December 8, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. There will be one hour of visitation prior to the service. A reception will follow the service at the Copper Center Art Center, 401 E. Commercial.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Anaconda's Copper Village Art Center or the Anaconda Community Foundation.
Visitation
DEC 8. 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM (MST)
Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home107 Oak St.
Anaconda, MT 59711
Celebration of Life
DEC 8. 2:00 PM (MST)
Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home107 Oak St.
Anaconda, MT 59711
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