WHITNEY, Dorothy

Dorothy Olson Whitney, 84, passed away April 4, 2004, in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was born in Price, UT, to Emmett King Olson and Edith Mavannwy Jones on March 4, 1920. Dorothy will always be remembered by her friends and family vamping at the piano with her head turned over her shoulder facing her audience as she sang her witty repertoire of songs. She and her music were always the center of any gathering. As a young woman, she sang with a band in the first air-conditioned hotel in Las Vegas, The Apache Hotel. She attended the University of Utah and UCLA. The niece of Governor Culbert L. Olson, she was married to Bruce Benson Whitney in the Governor's Mansion in Sacramento, California, in 1941. As the wife of a mining engineer, she lived in Inspiration, Arizona, from 1944 until 1970. There she taught her two children to appreciate reading and critical thinking. One of the most meaningful experiences of her time spent in the Globe-Miami area was when she taught music to the mentally handicapped children twice a week. She enjoyed life playing golf and bridge. She especially enjoyed her friendships with the women she met as a member of the Arizona Ladies Golf Association. She worked the New York Times Crossword Puzzle in ink. When she moved to Phoenix in 1970, she began a career as a real estate agent. She traveled extensively throughout the world. She generously gave to the Salvation Army, Saint Vincent de Paul, Habitat for Humanity, and the Thomas J. Pappas School. Dorothy is preceded in death by her parents and sister, Pauline Richardson; and her husband, Bruce B. Whitney. She is survived by her brother Emmett K. Olson; her son, Bruce B. Whitney Jr.; her daughter, Elinor Jones Rames; seven grandchildren: Bruce B. Whitney III, Deborah Hall, Juliet Fattaleh, Amanda Smith, Whitney White, Zachariah Whitney and Asa Whitney and seven great-grandchildren. Memorial services were April 10, 2004. The services were held in her daughter's garden in Paradise Valley. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations be made to the Hospice of the Valley or the Thomas J. Pappas School. Published in the Arizona Republic on 4/8/2004.