Obituary of Dorothy Jean Weber

Dorothy Jean (Tauses) Weber passed away of cancer on Monday, November 28, 2022 at the age of 86. She was dearly loved by her family and friends and will be greatly missed.

 

Dottie was born in Marquette, Michigan on August 2, 1936 to the late Louis and Angela (Knaus) Tauses. She graduated from Graveraet High School in 1954 and went on to earn a nursing degree in 1957 from St. Luke’s Hospital of Nursing in Marquette. After graduation, she briefly worked as a recruiter for St. Luke’s before continuing her nursing career in Denver, Colorado.

 

Dottie married her husband, Air Force Captain Waldon R. Weber on July 11, 1964 at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. Although Dottie was sometimes teased that she married Wally for his car (a Jaguar XKE), they had a love that stood the test of time. They shared many interests such as enjoying international travel, gourmet food, entertaining, competitive tennis leagues, family ties, and beloved pets.

 

They started their married life together at Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri but, thanks to Wally’s Air Force career, they were able to experience life in many cultures and locations. Before settling in Satellite Beach, Florida in 1977, they lived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Izmir, Turkey; and Phoenix, Arizona.

 

Wherever they moved in the United States, Dottie continued her nursing career and throughout was a caring and compassionate nurse and caregiver. Once settled in Florida, she worked as a supervisory nurse at West Melbourne Health & Rehabilitation Center until retiring in 1984. She loved to work and serve others in the medical field, and she did it with a kind and generous spirit. Dottie’s compassion and heart for service was integral to who she was and went well beyond her nursing career. She volunteered as a server at the Daily Bread mission, helped those in need after hurricanes, participated in services and community activities through the Patrick Air Force Base chapel and supported a number of charitable organizations.

 

Dottie and Wally loved boating in their Boston Whaler and spent idyllic weekends exploring Lake Powell and Myrtle Beach and Florida waterways. They later enjoyed having a sailboat docked right behind their house in Florida to get out on the water and catch their own fresh seafood. Many of their travel adventures were by boat, including European river cruises on the Rhine and Danube and ocean cruises to the Caribbean, Panama, South America, Alaska and many other exotic locations. They also enjoyed land tours of Hawaii, Germany, France, and Italy.

 

Their love of nature and the ocean led Dottie and Wally to purchase their own piece of paradise on the island of Little Exuma, Bahamas. They built a beach cottage that in the early days had no running water or electricity and had limited supplies. It was worth it for the unspoiled white sand beaches, beautiful views, crystal clear water, the fresh seafood they caught, and the peace and quiet. This rough camp grew into their home away from home that brought them decades of enjoyment.

 

Dottie was a talented athlete and stayed physically active throughout her life especially within competitive tennis leagues. Locally she participated in the Kiwi Tennis Club and the Patrick Air Force Base wives club tennis team, “The Patriots”. She also loved to dance and her skill ensured she was never short of partners.

 

She was an avid gardener, growing orchids, rain lilies, night blooming cereus and many other beautiful and interesting plants. She found joy in her gardens and talked to each of her plants like old friends, encouraging them to grow. She was an active member of several garden clubs and enjoyed trading cuttings and seeds with friends and garden tour hosts who shared her passion.

 

Dottie was an excellent gourmet cook and created her own recipes. She was a wonderful host of parties and gatherings and enjoyed visiting with her guests, making the work of entertaining seem effortless. She had a vibrant spark of energy, a contagious laugh, and a twinkle in her eye that drew people to her. She had many good friends, keeping in touch with lifelong friends from high school at every reunion, in addition to quickly making new friends wherever they made their home. “Aunt Dottie” was a favorite of her nieces and nephews and their children who loved her very much and enjoyed in-person and phone visits whenever possible. She was well loved and will be truly missed by all.

 

Dottie is survived by her husband of 58 years, Waldon R. Weber; her sister Nancy (Tauses) Christiansen of Midland, Michigan; nieces and nephews Angela (Dave) Pasek, Mary (Dan) Leys, Elizabeth Christiansen, Ernie (Beth) Christiansen, John (Kelly) Christiansen, Dawn (Marco) Olivo, and Dana (Bill) Zelenik. She is also survived by her great nephews and nieces Joshua, Jacob and Ruth Pasek; Anna, Thomas and Isabelle Christiansen; Cassidy Olivo; and Kerri, Matt, Conner and Meghan Zelenik; plus many cousins and friends who will miss her greatly.

 

Dottie was preceded in death by her parents Louis and Angela Tauses; her father- and mother-in-law, Robert and Mary Weber; brothers-in-law Robert Christiansen and Douglas Weber; and sisters-in-law Dorothy Weber and Patricia Weber.

 

A funeral service will be held Saturday, December 17, 2022 at Beach Funeral Home, 1689 South Patrick Drive, Indian Harbour Beach FL 32937. Visitation will start a 1:00 pm with the service starting at 2:00 pm. www.beachfuneralhome.com

 

To view Dottie's Tribute Slideshow follow this link: Dottie's Tribute Video 

 

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made in Dottie’s memory to:

Humane Society of South Brevard, 2600 Otter Creek Lane, Melbourne, FL 32940, https://southbrevardhumane.org/

Vitas Hospice Community Connection, 255 East Fifth St., Suite 1200, Cincinnati, OH 45202, https://vitascommunityconnection.org/

Or to another one of her favorite charities such as Ronald McDonald House; CITA Rescue Mission; St. Jude; Boys Town; ASPCA; Salvation Army; or the Wounded Warrior Project.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dorothy Weber, please visit Tribute Store