Dorothy Jeanette Pitchford

Dorothy Jeanette (Haight) Pitchford left this earth to dance on the streets of Heaven on July 23rd, 2024, at age 91. 

Dorothy was born on November 29th,1932 in Van Wert, Ohio. Her parents were Malonde and Harriet Haight, who dearly loved her and her two sisters, Saundra and Jackie. Dottie spent part of her childhood in foster care, where a Mennonite family introduced her to the Lord. This is where her love of farm life and her drive to rise above her circumstances began. This determination led her to dedicate time and intense effort to obtain her degree as a physical therapist’s assistant. She worked at Lima Memorial Hospital and later retired as a traveling PTA. 

A caregiver at heart, Dorothy spent over fifty years caring for her special needs sister, Jackie, as well as caring for her husband, Harold, until he went to Heaven. Her caring nature spilled over into her love for her home, her garden, and her pets. She enjoyed music and dancing, which she passed on to several of her children and grandchildren. She also loved to travel, with two of her favorite trips being Lake Cumberland and Disney. A hobby of hers was spending time searching for treasures and selling them at the antique store in Van Wert. Dottie attended St. Rose Parish with her husband where they served by singing in the choir and teaching classes during VBS. She had a love for learning that followed her throughout her life, spending her evenings watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Recently, she experienced Jesus in a new way while watching The Chosen with her family, even traveling to the movies at 90 to see an episode at the theater. Above all, Dorothy’s love for her family was most evident. She spent countless hours opening her home to her children and their children, caring for them and inviting them over for holiday gatherings full of food, laughter, and special memories. We all loved holidays at Grammy & Paw Paw’s house. 

She is survived by her children, Dan (Cheryl) Campbell, Linda Julian, Steve (Bonnie) Campbell, Lisa Dye, Marianna (Tracy) Watts, bonus daughter Claudia Maram, and honorary daughter Maria Espinosa, 13 grandchildren, 12 bonus grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, 21 bonus great-grandchildren, 18 great-great-grandchildren, and 2 bonus great-great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, Harold Pitchford, three bonus children (Bryan, Pam & Robin) one son (James) a son-in-law (Don), two grandchildren (Bobby & Cebrina), and two great-grandchildren (Jackson & Malik).

Visitation will be held at Chamberlain Huckeriede Funeral Home from 4pm-7pm on Friday, August 2nd. A Celebration of Life will be held at the funeral home on Friday, August 2nd at 7pm, with a traditional service held at St. Rose Parish on Saturday, August 3rd at 11am. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: St. Rose Parish https://www.osvhub.com/stroselimaohio/giving/funds or Deb’s Dogs https://debsdogs.org/lend-a-hand

Arrangements handled by Chamberlain-Huckeriede Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed at www.chamberlainhuckeriede.com.