Stella Dohrer

Stella Dohrer, 88, was called to Jesus on Feb. 21, 2017, at Friendship Village Hospice in Tempe, Arizona, after a short illness.

Stella was born in Kingswood, England, on Nov. 4, 1928, to Abraham and Rosina Grivell.  She grew up living through World War II and met and married an American GI, Kenneth Timm, in 1945.  In 1947, she and her 8-month-old daughter, Jane, came to America by ship and traveled by train to Springfield, Minnesota, to live with her husband.

In 1967, she married John Dohrer and moved to Arizona.  They lived in Tucson, Phoenix and Mesa and made good friends everywhere they lived.  Stella worked as a cashier at several car dealerships over the years and her special talent was customer service because she cared for the people she worked with and served.  She once told a customer, “It’s nice to be important but it is important to be nice.”  She and John finally moved to Sarkis retirement community for their retirement years.  During her years there she made many close friends and loved to help others until she grew older and it was her time to be helped by her dear friends.

Stella enjoyed reading, knitting and playing Phase 10.  She was a member of the Daughters of the British Empire and enjoyed their monthly meetings.  She also attended Love of Christ Lutheran Church every Sunday and made many friends there.  It was her wish that all of her friends meet one another.

Stella’s true gift was her love and compassion for other people.

She is survived by her daughters, Jane Tews of Mesa, Ariz.; Lonna Koktavy of Farmington, Helen Gresch of Green Bay, Wisc.; son Del and wife Patty of Phoenix, Ariz.; and stepdaughter, Wanda Lind (Jim) of Moose Lake; 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

She will be greatly missed by her family, her Sarkis family and all those who knew her.