In the late 1970s while Doti was living in Sebastopol, north of San Francisco, she met Larry (later Llorne) and shortly afterwards they moved to northern Idaho, where Llorne worked as a cook. They married in 1982 and two years later Doti and Llorne moved to Lincoln City on the Oregon coast, partly to be closer to Doti's parents, who'd recently moved from San Jose to Portland.
I was a bit of a vagabond during the 1980s, going to college in the Midwest and then working for six summers as a ranger in Colorado. So during those years, Doti and Llorne's house in Lincoln City became my home base. With my parents in Portland and Doti and Llorne in Lincoln City two hours away, Oregon became my new home. Doti spent her years in Lincoln City tutoring children in her house, stressing the connection between proper diet/nutrition and learning and she became well-known in the community, driving her little red Toyota around town.
Sadly though, in late 1986 her son Myles, who was 18 years old and a freshman at Chico State University, was involved in a car accident near Sacramento and was badly burned, and a few weeks later he died. It was a traumatic experience for everyone who knew Myles, including me, because Myles was like my younger brother. He and I had spent a lot of time together and we were very close. It was also very difficult for my parents, losing their first grandchild. Looking back, the death of Myles was probably the most traumatic event our family ever dealt with. But it was especially difficult for Doti. Doti never recovered from the loss of Myles, though she was comforted by her spiritual beliefs and for the rest of her life she firmly believed that Myles was always in her presence, looking out for her.
Doti continued tutoring her students in Lincoln City, each of whom brought her great joy. And a few months after Myles' passing, Doti met a woman recently arrived in Lincoln City who had a young daughter who would fill a deep void in Doti's life, considering the recent passing of Myles, and the three of them became great friends. And they remained great friends until Doti passed away 30 years later.
About four years after Myles died, Llorne suddenly left Doti. It was a shock for her but Doti moved on with her life. She had her good friends in Lincoln City, her loved ones and the memory of Myles, all of whom provided her with great comfort.
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