Doris June (Dixon) Vorce

Doris June (Dixon) Vorce, of Columbia, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at University Hospital in Columbia after a long illness. She left this world to meet her Savior, Jesus Christ, surrounded by her family and friends. She was a unique woman who lived life fully and loved others well.

On December 19, 1934, Doris was born at City Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the fourth child of Guy and Fay Dixon who instilled in her the values of hard work, education, and devotion to family. Her childhood was spent in St. Louis, Missouri and Cahokia, Illinois with her parents and three older siblings. She attended Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri and graduated from Carbondale (Illinois) High School in 1951. On November 8, 1952, she and Leonard Eugene “Gene” Vorce were married in Desoto, Illinois, a special union that lasted fifty-six years until Gene’s passing in October, 2009.

Doris was a woman of great ability and determination who firmly believed in the Bible verse, Ecclesiastes 9:10, which says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” She played saxophone in grade school and junior high and always managed to sit first chair and receive Superior awards at State solo contest. While most people take four years to complete high school, she managed high school in just three years. When her boys were little, she was so meticulous about their care and appearance that she took time to polish their shoes every morning.

Doris provided time, money, and devotion to everyone she loved. She was her family’s head cheerleader and encouraged everyone to do his or her best in whatever endeavors they chose. Some of her cheerleading successes were Gene’s work, Mike’s music, Steve’s wrestling, Debbie’s teaching, and Linda’s nursing. There were countless others as well. Everyone was encouraged to attend college, and she provided moral and financial support whenever necessary. Christmas and birthdays were very special to her. She carefully planned these occasions so they would be nice for everyone. Later in life, she helped both Mike and Steve start businesses and worked part-time in Steve’s furniture store for many years. She adored her grandchildren and encouraged each of them to do well. She was always very proud when anyone accomplished something or reached a goal in life.

Beginning the late 1950s, Doris began her career as a public servant. She started as a secretary at the Granite City (Illinois) Army Depot, then moved to the Mobility Equipment Command in St. Louis in the mid-1960s. Once in St. Louis, she passed an entrance exam designed for college graduates. Even though she was only a high school graduate, she scored in the high 90s on the test and qualified for a high-level position as a management analyst for the Army. Like everything else she did in life, she excelled at this job as well, receiving outstanding and superior performance ratings during her entire career. In 1974, she started work at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital. She soon became the Chief of Accounting, and after earning her associate’s degree, was promoted to the Assistant Chief of Fiscal. As always, her job performance was rewarded with outstanding performance awards. In 1989, after many years of dedicated service, Doris retired from the VA.

Retirement was a wonderful time of life for Doris. She spent lots of time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. She and Gene traveled extensively, visiting forty-eight of the fifty United States. She began painting landscapes and soon won awards in art contests for her efforts. Doris always loved to dance and developed a love for clogging and line dancing. During their annual visit to Florida every winter, Doris became the main choreographer and dance teacher for the annual talent shows put on by the little community where she and Gene stayed. Her interests expanded into the area of genealogy. She investigated public records extensively and then assembled books for each branch of her and Gene’s family trees. Some of her research goes back three hundred years. She developed a keen interest in floral arranging and provided floral arrangements for each of her grandchildren’s weddings. She continued to use this hobby by preparing floral arrangements so that the family graves could have fresh flowers each Memorial Day. She and Gene had a small place in Florida where they lived January, February, and March each winter. They also had a small house on the Lake of the Ozarks and spent many hours in nice weather relaxing on their boat dock or puttering around the lake on their pontoon boat.

Doris always loved poodles. She had her first two poodles in the 1960s and 1970s. After that, she developed a love for her son’s two poodles. When Gene died, she located a miniature poodle puppy and fell in love once again. Once they met, Suzee became Doris’s constant companion and friend for the remainder of Doris’s life. As with all other things in life, Doris doted on her dog and made sure she had the best food, toys, and medical care.

Doris is survived by two sons and two daughters-in-law, Mike and Debbie Vorce of Granite City, Illinois, and Steve and Linda Vorce of Columbia, Missouri; four grandchildren and their spouses, Madrigal (Arth) Brown of Utqiagviq, Alaska; Sheila (Nathan) Garten of Columbia, Missouri; Jonathan (Toni) Vorce of Granite City, Illinois; and Brian (Mallory) Vorce of St. Charles, Missouri; eleven great-grandchildren, Aria Brown, Arth Brown IV, Michael Vorce, Lucie Garten, Olivia Garten, Jacqueline Vorce, Aurora Brown, Vanessa Vorce, Charlotte Vorce, Kasiah Brown, and Landon Vorce; sister-in-law, Beulah Shelton of Clive, Iowa; nieces and nephews; great-nieces and great-nephews; her very good friend, Donna Boggs; and her faithful canine companion, Suzee. She was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-six years, Leonard Eugene “Gene” Vorce; dad and mom, Guy Oscar and Fay Dixon; sister, Kathryn McPheeters; and brothers, Benny Dixon and Jack Dixon.

Visitation for Doris will be held from 11:00 am until 12:00 noon on Monday, October 1, 2018 at Bach-Yager Funeral Chapel, 1610 North Garth Avenue in Columbia, Missouri. Funeral services will be conducted in the chapel at noon on the same day. Burial will be at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Jacksonville, Missouri at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, Doris’s family requests that donations be made to the My Life Clinic, 802 North Providence Road, Suite 2, Columbia, MO 65201.

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