Dorothy Parker, 85 / April 2, 1926 — May 12, 2011

Published 7:15 am Friday, May 20, 2011

Dorothy Louise Parker, 85, formerly of Niles, died Thursday, May 12, 2011 at her home in South Bend.

She was born April 2, 1926 in Coldwater, Mich. to Owen E. and Ida A. (Worthman) Doudt. She lived in Coldwater and Three Rivers before coming to Niles, where she lived for 40 years. She lived in South Bend for 10 years.

Dorothy was employed at the former Standard-Federal Savings and Loan branch in Niles, retiring in 1988.

She was a member of the Lutheran church and of the National Association of Deaf and Deaf Senior Citizens. She greatly enjoyed the fellowship of the deaf community, and even more, loved her family.

On April 21, 1945 in Coldwater she married David C. May, who preceded her in death in 1956. She was later married for several years to Alfred J. Parker.

In addition to her husband, David, she was preceded in death by her longtime companion, James P. Love, and a brother, Clifford R. Doudt.

Surviving family includes a niece, Evelyn Burgess, and a nephew, Donald Doudt, both of Mason, Mich.; and two grand-nieces, Carmen and Marci.

Services for Dorothy Parker will be at noon Saturday, June 4 at Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles with the Rev. Carl W. Bassett of S. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Niles officiating, and American Sign Language interpretation by Lisa Bassett.

The family will receive friends and relatives beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery in Three Rivers, where the family will gather privately.

Contributions in memory of Dorothy Parker may be made to Peace Lutheran Church for the Deaf, 6404 East 46th St., Indianapolis, IN 46626-3550.