Dorothy Lee Davis LaSerte
June 17, 1927 ~ October 13, 2013
Dorothy Lee Davis LaSerte, age 86, of Vienna, Virginia died on Sunday, October 13, 2013 at her home. Born June 17, 1927 in Winchester, Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Clarence Ayer Davis and Edith Myrtle Shawn Davis. She was the beloved wife of the late Charles Wilson LaSerte, who predeceased her on October 28, 1998.
Dorothy means "Gift from God" but she was called Dotsy as a girl and young woman and Dot or Dottie in her later years. She was known as Mommie Dee by her granddaughter, Carrie.
Dorothy grew up in Winchester, Virginia on Fairmont Avenue where her father was the owner and pharmacist of People's Drug Store up until the crash when they had to sell the store. The family moved around for five years and Dottie attended five different schools in that time. The family finally moved to Handley, Blvd. and her father purchased Baker's Drug Store and her brother James came back from WWII and the family was together again. These were happy years. Dottie was a princess on the Elk's float in the annual Apple Blossom Parade in 1945.
Dottie attended Handley High School and graduated in 1946 and later attended and graduated with her B.S. in education from Richmond Polytechnic Institute.
Dottie attended Braddock Methodist Church where she was later married to Charles Wilson LaSerte of Wilson, Maryland on June 17, 1953. They met at the "Happy" Hecht Company in Washington, DC, sharing rides up Route 50 to Winchester and Maryland to visit family. They entered and won several jitterbug contests and loved to dance.
They moved to an apartment in Arlington, VA and later began their family on Dale Drive in Fairfax City, Virginia where their new brick rambler home was mortgaged at $99 a month.
Dottie went to work teaching geography when Dad contracted polio in 1959. She later moved into teaching distributive education opening the program in Fairfax County in the brand new James Madison High School in 1963. She learned to drive during this time (from Mr. Boyd Raye Hargraves) and moved her family to Cynthia Lane in Vienna, VA so her children would go to an integrated school system.
During this period she was instrumental in starting the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and served in an officer capacity for several years. Dottie held several educational professional memberships and she was very active with her JMHS DECA chapter statewide. She had many practice teachers who later became marketing teachers in their own right, and were employed back into Fairfax County Public Schools. One of her former students and practice teachers, Nancy Jedd King, even went on to become the area supervisor for Marketing Education of Fairfax County. Another of her former student teachers, Don Strock, became well known with his affiliations with the NFL.
Dottie retired from her beloved Madison High School after 33 years of teaching in 1986. She and her husband moved to 1800 Creek Crossing Lane where they enjoyed traveling and entertaining. She became a member and officer of the Welcome Wagon club and was active with social affairs through this organization. She was also a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
After the death of her beloved husband, Charles, Dottie continued to be active in community affairs and social entertaining. She attended the Methodist Church of Oakton with her daughter and granddaughter, until her health prevented her from attending. In recent years, she enjoyed traveling with her daughter and granddaughter and sharing her home with them as they cared for her. She made a road trip to Atlanta, Georgia when she was 84 stopping to visit family and sites along the way. During this time she was nicknamed, Mommie DEE, "Road Dog." She attended her first baseball game on a trip to Baltimore where she had preferential seating for an Orioles game when she was 85 years old!
She enjoyed her home and her small circle of very close friends and her family. She maintained her lifelong friendships with several of her Madison and marketing education counterparts and enjoyed visiting and keeping up with them. She was an avid Redskins and Maryland and West Virginia fan. She loved her cocktail, the beach and listening to her music, especially FRANKIE. She adored her swimming pool and had enjoyed her pool even to the very last weekend of her life.
She was a devoted and loving mother and grandmother to her family. She did the very best she could to bring to each of them a wonderful and rich life; she was also a doting aunt to her nephews. She was a true and good friend to many. She was a gift from God.
She is survived by her daughter, Carol Lee LaSerte Laird of Vienna, VA and her son, Robert Edmund LaSerte of Burke, VA; and granddaughters, Carrie Lee Laird, Rose Shawn LaSerte and Marion Clarke LaSerte. She is also survived by her nephews, Jeffrey Shawn Davis, DDS of Winchester and J. Clarke Davis of Atlanta.
In addition to her husband and parents, Dottie was preceded in death by her brother James Clarke Davis of Winchester.
Family and friends are invited to Dottie's Life Celebration at Money and King Funeral Home, 171 W. Maple Avenue, Vienna, VA 22180 on Monday, October 21, 2013 from 6 to 8 pm. Funeral services will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 11 am. Interment will follow in Mount Hebron Cemetery at 2 pm.
Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 124 Park Street SE, Vienna, VA 22180 or The Parkinson's Foundation, PFNCA, 7700 Leesburg Pike, Suite 208, Falls Church, VA, 22043.
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
Dorothy means "Gift from God" but she was called Dotsy as a girl and young woman and Dot or Dottie in her later years. She was known as Mommie Dee by her granddaughter, Carrie.
Dorothy grew up in Winchester, Virginia on Fairmont Avenue where her father was the owner and pharmacist of People's Drug Store up until the crash when they had to sell the store. The family moved around for five years and Dottie attended five different schools in that time. The family finally moved to Handley, Blvd. and her father purchased Baker's Drug Store and her brother James came back from WWII and the family was together again. These were happy years. Dottie was a princess on the Elk's float in the annual Apple Blossom Parade in 1945.
Dottie attended Handley High School and graduated in 1946 and later attended and graduated with her B.S. in education from Richmond Polytechnic Institute.
Dottie attended Braddock Methodist Church where she was later married to Charles Wilson LaSerte of Wilson, Maryland on June 17, 1953. They met at the "Happy" Hecht Company in Washington, DC, sharing rides up Route 50 to Winchester and Maryland to visit family. They entered and won several jitterbug contests and loved to dance.
They moved to an apartment in Arlington, VA and later began their family on Dale Drive in Fairfax City, Virginia where their new brick rambler home was mortgaged at $99 a month.
Dottie went to work teaching geography when Dad contracted polio in 1959. She later moved into teaching distributive education opening the program in Fairfax County in the brand new James Madison High School in 1963. She learned to drive during this time (from Mr. Boyd Raye Hargraves) and moved her family to Cynthia Lane in Vienna, VA so her children would go to an integrated school system.
During this period she was instrumental in starting the Vienna Chamber of Commerce and served in an officer capacity for several years. Dottie held several educational professional memberships and she was very active with her JMHS DECA chapter statewide. She had many practice teachers who later became marketing teachers in their own right, and were employed back into Fairfax County Public Schools. One of her former students and practice teachers, Nancy Jedd King, even went on to become the area supervisor for Marketing Education of Fairfax County. Another of her former student teachers, Don Strock, became well known with his affiliations with the NFL.
Dottie retired from her beloved Madison High School after 33 years of teaching in 1986. She and her husband moved to 1800 Creek Crossing Lane where they enjoyed traveling and entertaining. She became a member and officer of the Welcome Wagon club and was active with social affairs through this organization. She was also a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
After the death of her beloved husband, Charles, Dottie continued to be active in community affairs and social entertaining. She attended the Methodist Church of Oakton with her daughter and granddaughter, until her health prevented her from attending. In recent years, she enjoyed traveling with her daughter and granddaughter and sharing her home with them as they cared for her. She made a road trip to Atlanta, Georgia when she was 84 stopping to visit family and sites along the way. During this time she was nicknamed, Mommie DEE, "Road Dog." She attended her first baseball game on a trip to Baltimore where she had preferential seating for an Orioles game when she was 85 years old!
She enjoyed her home and her small circle of very close friends and her family. She maintained her lifelong friendships with several of her Madison and marketing education counterparts and enjoyed visiting and keeping up with them. She was an avid Redskins and Maryland and West Virginia fan. She loved her cocktail, the beach and listening to her music, especially FRANKIE. She adored her swimming pool and had enjoyed her pool even to the very last weekend of her life.
She was a devoted and loving mother and grandmother to her family. She did the very best she could to bring to each of them a wonderful and rich life; she was also a doting aunt to her nephews. She was a true and good friend to many. She was a gift from God.
She is survived by her daughter, Carol Lee LaSerte Laird of Vienna, VA and her son, Robert Edmund LaSerte of Burke, VA; and granddaughters, Carrie Lee Laird, Rose Shawn LaSerte and Marion Clarke LaSerte. She is also survived by her nephews, Jeffrey Shawn Davis, DDS of Winchester and J. Clarke Davis of Atlanta.
In addition to her husband and parents, Dottie was preceded in death by her brother James Clarke Davis of Winchester.
Family and friends are invited to Dottie's Life Celebration at Money and King Funeral Home, 171 W. Maple Avenue, Vienna, VA 22180 on Monday, October 21, 2013 from 6 to 8 pm. Funeral services will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 11 am. Interment will follow in Mount Hebron Cemetery at 2 pm.
Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 124 Park Street SE, Vienna, VA 22180 or The Parkinson's Foundation, PFNCA, 7700 Leesburg Pike, Suite 208, Falls Church, VA, 22043.
Funeral Home:
Money & King Funeral Home
171 W. Maple Ave.
Vienna, VA
US 22180
Always filled with joy.. I will miss you, Dottie. With love, Lynne
May the angels greet her in paradise Sincerely, Alice Williams
I am sorry to hear that Dot has passed. The loss of our “old timers” seems to be moving at a faster and faster pace. It has been quite a while since I last saw her, I remember her smile and pleasant personality. My condolences to Carol and the family.
My Dear Friend Dottie was truly a Soul Mate. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.
Dottie was truly a great friend. She was a bundle of energy and was so kind and considerate of others. I will miss her very much.
Dottie, I always enjoyed being a part of the “Birthday Girls” and some wonderful parties at your home. You will always be remembered by your smiling face and generosity.
I was so sorry to hear about the death of Mrs. LaSerte. My thoughts go out to the LaSerte family. So pleased to have known her and enjoyed working for her at the estate in Vienna. My condolences. Robert R. Ambrogi, Jr. 11-7-13
I’m so sorry to hear of the passing of Dear Dottie. She always made me laugh and was super smart. I wish to express my sincere condolences to the family. May she rest in peace.