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Dorette “Dorrie” Lemon was born in Seattle, Washington on September 29, 1918 to E. Eugene Rothschild and V. Bess Snyder. Dorette grew up in West Seattle, graduating from West Seattle High School in 1936. In 1940, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington. In recognition of her leadership and scholarship, she was selected for Mortar Board her senior year. It was the highest award for women in college. She attended the Boston University School of Social Work in 1941-42, and received a master’s degree from the Columbia University School of Social Work in 1943. Dorette married Berlan Lemon on April 18, 1946. They were happily married until his death 62 years later. They had three daughters, Laura, Patricia and Louise. The family lived in Eugene, Seattle and Portland before moving to Corvallis in 1959. Dorette worked for the YWCA in Seattle and Eugene from 1943-1947. After 16 years spent raising her daughters, she took a position at the Oregon State University Mathematics Department in 1963 as a secretary/bookkeeper. In 1972 she became the administrative assistant at the OSU Computer Center, and retired from that position in 1980. While in Portland, Dorette served on the board of the YWCA, became a Girl Scout troop leader and taught Sunday School. After moving to Corvallis, Dorette made friends, joined clubs and became involved in many activities that lasted a lifetime. She led a troop of Girl Scouts through their high school graduation, and was pleased to reunite with eight of the “girls” last summer. She was actively involved with the AFS exchange program, including hosting a South African exchange student for a year. She volunteered with Crossroads International, RSVP and OSU Folk Club. Central to her life in Corvallis have been her memberships in First Presbyterian Church, PEO Chapter AR and her beloved “Gourmet” group. Together with her husband, Berlan, she enjoyed attending OSU sporting events, dancing, playing bridge and traveling in the U.S. and abroad. In 1959, Dorette was instrumental in establishing the Rothschild House in Port Townsend, Washington, as an historic site. The house, built by her grandparents in 1868, is now open to the public as a museum. Also in 1959, Dorette entered and won a national contest sponsored by Betty Crocker and Sunkist Lemons to name a lemon pie recipe. First prize was $25 per week, intended to be “food for life” for a family of four. Her prize checks arrived faithfully throughout her life. Dorette is survived by her daughters Patricia Starker (Barte), Louise Runkle (Skip), grandchildren Geoffrey Vogel, Robert Vogel (Katherine), Wendy Little (Matt), Sally Starker (Zach), Andy Lasselle (Rachel), Grant Lasselle (Bryony), Erin Bryner (Jay), Colin Runkle (Laura) and 11 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Berlan, and daughter, Laura Vogel. A memorial service will be held at 1 pm, Monday, March 7, at First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis. Donations in her memory can be made to First Presbyterian Church, 114 SW 8th St, Corvallis, Oregon, 97333, or to a charity of your choice.

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Dorette Mae Rothschild Lemon

September 29, 1918 - February 25, 2016