Dorothy ‘Dot’ Rolando Therkelsen Bacon Proffitt died July 28, 2003, at her home on Vashon Island. She was 82 years old.

Mrs. Proffitt was born on May 11, 1921, in Centralia, Wash., to Stephen and Jennie Rolando.

She moved to Vashon at age 6 and learned to love life on the island that would be her home for the next 77 years. Her family home was on the top of Shawnee and the family grew and sold lilies.

Dot attended schools on Vashon, graduating from Vashon High School in 1937, where she skipped two years of school.

Not long after graduation, Dot married Max Therkelsen, a mechanic who owned a garage at Center. They had one daughter, Janice Ann. After divorcing Max, Dot worked at Garla Acres growing garlic, which was being commercially sold at the time.

Dot married Joseph Bacon in 1947, and they had two children, Steven and Angela. During their 20-year marriage, Dot was an active homemaker. She was active in the Rebeccas and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

She was also active in many traditional activities — crocheting, canning, knitting and gardening. But Dot was also proficient at what for women were non-traditional activities — hunting deer and pheasants as well as being a master geoduck hunter.

Following Joseph’s death in 1967, Dot cooked for the Baptist Assembly Grounds (Camp Burton) and worked at the Burton Store. Her involvement with the Eagles Auxiliary introduced her to Zola Proffitt, whom she married on April 5, 1972. With Zola, six step children joined her family. She and Zola loved to travel, including to Arkansas for family reunions.

She also enjoyed bowling, golfing at the Vashon Island Golf & Country Club and walking the Burton Loop.

She was a loyal friend and a strong-willed woman who knew her own mind. She expected much out of her family and much from herself. A hard worker, Dot also loved to party, to dance to country and Western music and to celebrate holidays.

Survivors include her husband of 31 years, Zola Proffitt, her children Janice and her husband Tom McCasland of Evergreen, Colo., Steven Bacon of Vashon and Angela Nordling of Vashon and her step children Ron Proffitt, Sheriel and husband Bob Pilkington, Jerry Proffitt, Jim and wife Gerlinda Proffitt, Randy Proffitt and Carie and husband Tom Safford.

Other survivors include 19 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren as well as her sister Maxine Bice of Tukwila, two nephews, a niece and numerous cousins.

A service to celebrate her life was Saturday, Aug. 2, at the family home. A private interment preceded the service.