Mrs. Cole was our first grade teacher. There were plenty of others in town, but she had all five of us Ray kids, one right after the other. Although it has been 5 years since she passed away, this is a lovely article. You can almost smell her between the lines, all crisp and clean. I wonder if she wrote it.
As an aside, her husband was the judge who put his signature on Dave's and my marriage paperwork in 1983. The Coles sure made a difference to the Ray family!
Thank You Mrs. Cole!
Dorothy (Chapman) Cole (1922 - 2012)
Obituary
Born in Scranton, PA, Dorothy Chapman spent most of her formative years in upstate New York, where she had fond memories of her summers on Lake Chautauqua with her sisters, Jackie and Helen, and less fond memories of the monumental Buffalo winters. During WWII, she attended Connecticut College for Women in New London, CT., where she met Coast Guard, 90-day wonder attorney, William R. (Bob) Cole. The couple were married in Seattle, and promptly moved to Ellensburg in 1946 where the future Judge Cole opened a law office and was part-time Kittitas County Prosecuting Attorney. Dorothy immersed herself in the local community from the very beginning, forging strong bonds with people having a wide variety of interests. She became a charter member of the valley dog mafia, and could be spotted walking her cocker spaniels around Craig's Hill when the family lived on 3rd Street; and after moving to Brown Road, running her German Shorthaired pointers down Strande Road or around Ringer Park. Dorothy learned to ride at a US Cavalry stable on the East Coast, but wasn't able to have her own horse until she moved to Ellensburg, where it took little urging from her daughter, Robi, to purchase a bomb-proof bay kid horse; the first of many horses for the family. She spent hours in the dust and wind working with the Wranglerettes girls' mounted drill team, which included 50 riders in the mid-1960s. She not only knew the girls' vibrant personalities, but those of their horses as well. She and Bob were immensely proud of their children and attended innumerable sporting events and riding activities. Her one great trip was to visit her daughter during Robi's 4-year stay in France, exploring Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley, culminating in the Bastille Day fireworks in Paris. Dorothy taught 1st Grade initially at Lincoln, then at Mt. Stewart elementary schools. She was dedicated to providing a structured and nurturing learning environment for children and often stayed up until midnight meticulously correcting papers and preparing lessons. She never did anything half way. Her warmth towards children never ceased and it could be hard to get her out of her favorite Perkins' Restaurant without chatting with an eager little face, or for that matter, kidding the young staff. Her favorite time of the year was always Labor Day weekend and the Ellensburg Rodeo. She loved to sit high above the calf roping chutes because it was the best view of the horses, which she considered to be the consummate athletes. Dorothy was a bit of a renaissance person – knowledgeable in the arts, particularly literature, classical music, and word affairs, as well as nature. She taught several state biologists the correct way to save baby birds. She was also an accomplished trap and skeet shooter. A life member of the Yakima Kennel Club and active for over three decades, Dorothy was also chief ring steward for their annual June show for many years. The Sunday show this year will be dedicated to her honor. She could be reserved and very private, but had an inimitable wit and knew how to dish it out and take it with glee. If you visited Dorothy for any reason, you had to have her famous chocolate chip cookies and stay to visit. Neighbors could set their clocks by her morning and evening dog walks, which always made her day and helped keep her fit until the last 2 months of her life.
She passed peacefully surrounded by her loving family, friends, caregivers Missy, Maryanne, Rosalind and Boots, and of course, her animals. Preceded in death by her husband, Judge W.R. (Bob) Cole, Dorothy is survived by her three children, Rick Cole (Lee), Robin Cole Wilcox (Joe) and Mike Cole (Robin); sisters Jackie Naugle and Helen Hucker; grandchildren Kelly Cole O'Connell, Lindsay DeLaurenti, Brett Cole, Paul Cole, Sean Cole, John Perenic, Amanda Sakry and Sarah Cramer; and her close friend and companion, Norman Schoonover. For someone whose life revolved around dogs, Dorothy touched a lot of people. There will be a celebration of her life this summer when the sun and wind cooperate. A separate notice will be published for those who would like to attend. Although she loved flowers, Dorothy would prefer that those wishing to remember her consider donation to Friends of the Shelter, 1206 West Bender Road, Ellensburg, WA 98926.
