Dorothy Todd

Not with a silver spoon in your mouth,

But music in your blood and poetry in your soul.

-- Wilfred Wilson

Born of proud Welsh heritage on February 26, 1919 in Morgantown, West Virginia, Dorothy Marion (Davies) Todd died on July 23, 2013 and triumphantly joined her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in heaven. Though her attitude remained strong and her daily outlook bright, Dorothy's health declined in recent years, preventing her from living life to its fullest. At the time of her death, Dorothy was a resident of The Plaza at The Buckingham, a senior retirement complex in Houston, TX where she enjoyed many treasured friends.

The only child born to Daniel James Davies and Rose (Williams) Davies, Dorothy was reared in Gary, IN, where she graduated from Horace Mann High School in 1937, along with classmate, friend, and Heisman Trophy winner, football legend Tom Harmon. After graduation, she attended Sullins Women's College in Bristol, VA, graduating in the spring of 1939. Dorothy worked briefly after college for the Gary Heat and Light Company, and later joined the clerical pool for the U.S. Steel Corporation in Gary.

On January 18, 1942, Dorothy married Lt. William Kenneth "Bill" Todd Sr. just days before he was to ship out for overseas duty with the 108th Quartermaster Regiment, Illinois National Guard during World War II. Using a wedding band secreted to him by his grandmother, Bill and Dorothy slipped off to elope at the Simpson County Courthouse in Franklin, Kentucky. The elopement was not a surprise, however, for the couple's parents who suspected the plan all along. After 58 years of marriage, Bill Todd preceded Dorothy in death on January 1, 2000 in Austin, TX.

Dorothy's calling in life was to be the best mother and friend her six children could ever hope to have. All six children survive, including daughters Nancy Catherman of Smithville, TX; Dana "Rusty" Long and husband Ken of Eustis, FL; Dorothy Hobbs and husband Steve of Houston; Laurie Toungate and husband Jim of Richmond; Mary Jane Day and husband Adam of Hutto, TX; and her son, William K. Todd Jr. of Katy, TX. In addition to her children, Dorothy delighted in her nine grandchildren, and her twelve great grandchildren. Holidays at the Todd house were always chaotic – overflowing with family and numerous friends,—but Dorothy reveled in the celebration and loved every minute of it! She simply enjoyed people; she enjoyed fun; she enjoyed sharing in the good time!

Professionally, the family participated in the newspaper business with her husband serving as publisher of the Rockford (IL) Morning Star and the Rockford Register-Republic. The family sold both newspapers and the WROK radio station to the Gannett Corporation in 1967, then moved to Texas in 1972 to establish Todd Publications, Inc. Family members ran community newspapers in Smithville, Cuero, Round Rock, and Schulenburg, TX between 1972 and 2005, and also operated two printing companies in Smithville and Round Rock. In 1994, Dorothy was named president and chairman of the board of Todd Publication, Inc. and presided over the family enterprise until the final newspaper was sold in 2006.

Aside from her family and her involvement in the family's business, Dorothy's true love and joy was her relationship with her Savior, Jesus Christ. Dorothy was a woman of great faith who enjoyed worshiping in church, singing the hymns of the faith, and studying God's Word in church and in group Bible studies. Although it was a handful to get all six of her children dressed and readied for church each Sunday, Dorothy persevered in bringing up the family in the First Presbyterian Church of Rockford, IL where she taught children's Sunday school for many years. At the time of her death, Dorothy was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, Austin, TX, but attended Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 PM Saturday, July 27, 2013 at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3003 Northland Drive, Austin, TX, under the direction of Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery.

In lieu of floral arrangements, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the charity of the donor's choice.