DELVIN, Dorothy Marie

The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, Arizona Wednesday, August 28, 2013 Dorothy Marie Delvin, 82, passed away peacefully on Aug. 17 in Sun City West, where she had been living as her health declined following a heart attack late last year. All of Dorothy’s children were able to be at her side in the days leading up to her passing to have their private good-byes with their mother. Dorothy was born to Peter and Alma Quiring in Nashua Valley, Mont., on May 3, 1931. She grew up in Phoenix, Ariz., with her mother and younger siblings, graduating from Phoenix Union High School in 1949. After high school, she enrolled in Phoenix Community College, and it was through mutual friends there that she met her future husband, Wayne Delvin. Dorothy married Wayne on Dec. 23, 1951 in a double wedding in Phoenix with Wayne‘s sister Deljean. Upon Wayne’s graduation from the University of Arizona, they moved to Richland, Wash., where Wayne went to work at Hanford as a chemist. Dorothy and Wayne raised their five children as active members of Northwest United Protestant Church in Richland, where they made many lifelong friends. Dorothy was a homemaker while her older children were young. She was an excellent seamstress and always made sure her girls had new dresses for Easter that she made using the same pattern and fabric in three different colors. She was an avid reader and influenced each of her children to become avid readers also. After the birth of her youngest son Ross, Dorothy returned to school at Central Washington College in Ellensburg to accomplish her dream of a college degree. She took her classes during summer sessions so her older two girls could take turns helping her with the youngest two while living in Ellensburg. After completing her degree, she became an elementary school librarian for the Kennewick School District until her retirement. Not long after Wayne’s retirement in 1991, Dorothy and Wayne moved back to Arizona. They settled in Wickenburg, where they became active in volunteering at the Hassayampa River Preserve operated by the Nature Conservancy. A memorial has been erected in the gardens at the Preserve to honor Dorothy and Wayne for their dedicated service. They also enjoyed the Arizona desert and all its beauty with many hikes and off-road excursions with friends they made at the Preserve. Each year, they participated in many elder hostels throughout the Southwest and Northwest, where they never tired of learning about different cultures and history, as well as a variety of other subjects. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Wayne, who passed away in April of 2011; her parents Alma Quiring and Peter Quiring; brothers Lawrence Quiring, Walter Quiring, Milford Quiring and Raymond Quiring; and sister Rosemary Fine. She is survived by her children Ann Delvin of Mill Creek, Wash.; Lynne Delvin, Jerome Delvin (Josie) and Ross Delvin, all of the Tri-Cities, Wash.; and Carla Cruise (Bob) of Highland, Calif.; her grandchildren Jason Holway (Shannon), Brandon Mitchell, Brennon Hand, Alysha Leyva, Katie Schultz (Benjamin), Christa Hand and Rachelle Leyva; and great-grandchild Shelby Holway. Dorothy is also survived by brothers Howard Quiring and Norman Quiring, sister Jean Murphy, and numerous nieces and nephews. David’s Desert Chapel of Wickenburg is providing cremation services. There will be a memorial service in Wickenburg this fall.