Doreen Margaret Dawes

Honestly, how do you sum up the life of someone who meant the world to you in a few paragraphs? Someone who you will never again be able to kiss goodnight and tell them you love them, or witness their smile, or see the spark in their beautiful blue eyes? It is an impossible task, but this will have to do.

Doreen Margaret Dawes of San Diego passed away on Friday, April 21 at the age of 88. She was born on October 7, 1934, by natural birth on her mother’s birthday in Nottingham, England, where she grew up with her mother, Doris, father, Sydney, and half-sister, Pauline.

As a child, Doreen loved climbing trees in a park across from her home. One day a boy dared her to climb the largest tree, and she accepted the challenge. Unfortunately, she fell from the tree and impaled herself on her back on the ironwork spiked fence surrounding the park. She died for a short time on the operating table but was revived. Luckily, penicillin was a new discovery at the time and probably saved her life again with infection prevention. The accident prevented her from learning to swim in school, so she ended up learning as an adult many years later.

Doreen worked as a seamstress in England and later in the U.S. for a total of close to 40 years. She also had her own factory machine at home that she would use to make clothes for herself and her family. She was fast and skilled and could easily whip out an entire outfit in one evening.

Doreen loved to dance, and told stories of finishing work and running up the hill in heels to catch the bus so she could get home in time to change and go dancing with her boyfriend, Brian, at the local Palais in Nottingham. As well as dancing, Doreen had a beautiful singing voice and even sang with a big band in England for a while.

She also enjoyed home improvement projects and was great at wallpapering and painting, and was happy to help friends with their projects as well. She always had time for her friends and family.

She met her husband, Reginald Dawes, who was also British, in the U.S. while visiting her sister who had moved there with her husband. Doreen moved to the States and married in Los Angeles, California. They had two children, Reginald Jr. and Sandra. Both Doreen and Reginald eventually became U.S. citizens and moved from L.A. to San Diego in 1969.

Doreen traveled often with her daughter, and visited the United Kingdom many times to see old friends and relatives, and especially her mother, whom she adored. At times it was difficult for her to live so far away.

She was widowed in 1992, but later met a man, Richard Sturtz, that she enjoyed traveling by motorhome with all over the U.S.

Doreen was very much an animal lover, and owned many cats, dogs, and birds over the years. The last eight years of her life she lived with her daughter and her boyfriend in San Diego, and a household of six cats between them. The cats all loved Doreen and would always be near her.

Everyone who knew her could see Doreen’s kind, trusting, and loving nature. She was a wonderful mother, wife, companion, and friend, and will be deeply missed.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Sydney and Doris, sister, Pauline, husband, Reginald, and companion, Richard.

Doreen is survived by her children, Reginald and Sandra.

The family would like to thank Mom’s caregivers, especially Melinda Santana and Iona Miller, for the care and compassion they showed our loved one in her final years. No one could have been more caring, sweet, and uplifting than they were. They will always be welcome friends in our lives.

A Celebration of Life gathering will be announced at a later date.