Dora "Doris" E. Pease

Dora (Doris) Elia Pease, 71, went home to be with our Lord and Savior, surrounded by her family at her residence, on July 27, 2013. She was born in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico on January 1, 1942. Dora is survived by her husband, Clarence (Sonny) Pease, her partner of nearly 49 years; a daughter, Christine Pease-Hernandez, (Lorenzo) and her granddaughters, Lauren and Elizabeth; a son, Zac, (Amy Klein) Pease, her grandsons, Jordon and Braydon. She was predeceased by her parents, Alberto and Socorro Montoya, and sister, Elizabeth.Dora was a devout member of the Community of Christ Church where she was an ordained minister in the office of Elder. Her faith and undying love for God were evident in her daily life and in the relationships she formed with family and friends. Dora was a lifelong student; she earned a degree as a Laboratory Technician in Chemistry from the Instituto Technologico de Saltillo in Mexico. Her education in the United States included a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Education from Saginaw Valley State University, and Masters in Counseling from Central Michigan University. She worked as a Counselor and Teacher for the Bay City Public Schools and retired in 1999 after 30 years of service. During her professional career, she was involved in the National Educational Association, the Michigan Education Asociation and the GI Forum. She also served as a Minority Consultant and a Director of Bilingual Education. In 1984, Dora was awarded the Michigan Hispanic Educator of the Year Award by the State Board of Education. During that same year, she was awarded the Irma Ramos Bilingual Education Award by the Michigan Education Association. Dora did everything in her power to serve as a role model for all students especially those of underrepresented populations. Dora was an avid supporter of the Human Society, and several other non-profit animal welfare organizations. She was a cat lover and had many special cats (Rocky, Trouble, Chispa, Soya, Coqui, Sasha, Sassy, Mishu and Benny, the kitty love of her life). She was also very supportive of area, state, and national wrestling programs, and of Olympic Wrestling. Her hobbies included jewelry making, traveling, enjoying the beauty of nature, and feeding the many squirrels, birds, and raccoons that crossed her deck. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and would make every effort to visit them in Minnesota; Bragg Creek, AB, Canada; Ohio and Pennsylvania. A very special moment for Dora was when she became a U.S. Citizen in 1999.Dora was very adamant about not having a funeral service or funeral dinner. She felt celebrated by those who kept in touch with her while she was on this earth. As she would state in Spanish, "En Vida!" which means, "While Living!" In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to Outreach International ( http://www.outreach-international.org ) or Outreach International,129 W Lexington, Independence, MO 64050. Our family would like to thank all of our extended family and friends for supporting our Wife/Mother/Grandmother during her time of illness. We are also very grateful to the health care professionals of the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Unit, Drs. Romano and Bolling, Nurse, Thea, Dr. Ali (PC - Bay City), the health care professionals in the NICU at McLaren Hospital Bay City, and McLaren Hospice for doing their best to care for Dora during her time of need. God bless you all.