Dorothy Lavern O'Donnell

After battling cancer, Dorothy Lavern O’Donnell went to be with our Lord on February 2, 2017 in her home in Vernon, Arizona. She was surrounded by her family. Born Dorothy Lavern Henderson on June 21, 1942 in Bismarck, Arkansas, Dorothy was the fifth child, of seven, born to Mart and Jewel Henderson. Dorothy came to McNary, Arizona in 1962 where she worked at the McNary General Store and the McNary General Hospital. In November of 1963 she Married Willard Ray O’Donnell and started to raise their family.  In 1974 Dorothy and her family moved to Arkansas where she created a loving home for them for the next 30 years. In 2004 she and her husband decided to return to the place that they truly called home, the White Mountains of Arizona, this time settling in Vernon, where she would remain until her passing. Dorothy is survived by her husband of 53 years, Willard Ray O’Donnell, her sons Michael O’Donnell from San Diego, California and Mark O’Donnell of Vernon, Arizona. She has one Daughter-In-Law, Yolanda Padilla O’Donnell, married to Michael.  Dorothy has three grandchildren, Christina (married to Johnny Gillham) Alex and Gabriel, and 1 great granddaughter, Natalia. Dorothy has one sister, Freda Bray of Malvern, Arkansas, one brother, Phillip Henderson and Sister-In-Law, Nancy of Texarkana, Texas. She has five nieces, , Charlotte Bond of Gilbert, Arizona, Cissy O’Donnell of Sun City West, Arizona, Debbie Kennedy of Louisville, Kentucky, Donna Thomason of Bauxite, Arkansas and Dee Dee Neeper of Malvern, Arkansas.  Dorothy also has 4 nephews Jack George of Malvern, Arkansas, Jason Henderson of Texarkana, Texas, Justin Henderson of Texarkana Texas and Glenn Self of Show Low, Arizona. Dorothy is preceded in death by her mother and father, three sisters, two brothers-in-law, one brother, one sister-in-law, one nephew and one niece. Memorial Services for Dorothy will be held at The First Baptist Church of Pinetop, 1901 E. White Mountain Blvd, in Pinetop, AZ, on March 25, 2017 at 2:00 PM.  An informal gathering will be held afterwards.