Dorothy Westby died at home at age 94. After a nice evening with her daughter she departed from her earthly home.

Dorothy came to San Juan Island to live with her family following hip surgery even years ago. Another true life ‘’island story’’— mother and daughter moved three times in seven years to find a home on San Juan Island. Marcus Westby, Dorothy’s husband, proceeded her in death by 10 years.

Dorothy was born in Boise, Idaho. She moved with her parents to Kent, Washington, and then North Seattle after the Great Depression. Dorothy graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1944. In 1948, she graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and English.

She was a lifelong sister of Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority. In her profession, she was a medical and a legal secretary in Seattle. Before marriage to Marcus Westby in 1958, she was Vice President of the Seattle Chapter of Legal Secretaries.

While on vacation with her mother, Dorothy met her future husband. Dorothy had lived with and helped her widowed mother for 10 years before her engagement. Marriage took Dorothy to the wild Washington coast and LaPush. At first there was involvement in a family run resort and then in documenting and related correspondence for her talented artist husband.

Dorothy was a documentary style writer, weaver, avid reader, and poetic writer. She was a devoted helpmate to her husband. The couple moved numerous times. She loved a mother/daughter caregiving team in her Eastern Washington home.

Finally, the last four moves were with help from the SJ Calvary Chapel Church body, family and friends. Dorothy enjoyed many fine caregivers on San Juan Island and physical therapists. EMTs were very instrumental also. Special events at Calvary Chapel, and mostly family and family friends, were highly valued. Lastly, thank you to the San Juan Island Library staff for their gallant involvement with supplying materials for my mom. Dorothy Westby is survived by her daughter Dorena West-Mooney and grandson Justin Mooney of San Juan Island. She is also survived by cousin Amy of Idaho. There will be a memorial celebration, at a later date, for family and friends. If you wish to send memorial gifts, send them to Calvary Chapel SJ, P.O. Box 1634, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. If you wish, you can also send dona ons to Dorothy’s sorority: Alpha Omicron Pi International Headquarters 5390 Virginia Way | Brentwood, Tennessee 37027 aoiihq@alphaomicronpi.org.

To access the online obituary, go to www.evanschapel.com.