David L. Doty

David Lee Doty of Tucson, Arizona, passed away April 13th, 2013 at St. Joseph's Hospital.

He was born to Dee Mac Doty and Florence Ivy Doty on January 14th, 1933; making him a second generation Tucsonan. David graduated from Amphitheater High School in 1951. Growing up in Tucson in that era had its challenges. He always spoke of the house on Fort Lowell that has the very basic of amenities and such poor insulation that the walls may well have been made of paper. He did not have the "I walked 7 miles to school through snowstorms" story; he had the "that house was so cold …" story. And, of course, it was a smaller house that somehow fit the two parents and four kids, of which he was the oldest.

Once he got older he enlisted in the Air Force, where he spent much of his time overseas. This is where he developed his interest in aircrafts. After leaving the Air Force, he went on to work at the Duval Mines for over 20 years, until it shut down. He continued to put in several more years working for Hughes, which is now Raytheon.

His early hobbies included old cars, architecture, and Arizona culture. He had an older model Ford pickup that the kids used as a climbing obstacle. He used to attend a weekly car club where men do what men do -- get together and talk about their cars. He enjoyed creating several building plans, the most important of which were the plans to the house on Prince Road where he raised his family. After his marriage to June Uldrich in 1964, they pursued his interests by spending their honeymoon exploring the history and culture of the Verde Valley.

In his later years he continued to further develop his interest in local culture, enjoyed being a part of his growing family, and carried on his desire to photograph the things in life that were meaningful to him. He often spoke of his trips to Tubac to visit with an old friend and tour the town and seasonal art fairs. He drew from his experiences and eclectic taste to develop a style that was a mixture of country/Mexican, with a touch of beach life thrown in. He spent some of his free time building beautiful, sturdy furniture that reflected his style. His home became a tribute to his style. He filled it with rustic furniture, a plethora of paintings, various antiques, decorative pillows and sheets, old historical books, records, and magazines, and expressive dishes to match. To top it off he painted the walls in the random southwestern hacienda style. However, this mellow man, who took his time telling stories in a slow, deliberate way, pulled off creating a shrine to his style that most people who knew him would have to see to believe. For David, he did not have any desires to physically travel past the Southwest, so instead he traveled by map. Through pictures, letters and postcards people sent to him from various far off places, David would buy a map and follow them through their experience.

David's other major hobby was doing what every grandparent does; doting on and doing what he could for his two grand daughters. He continued his tradition of watching his own kids’ sports events by attending every single game or meet he possibly could. During this time he used up roll after roll of film documenting the kids on the soccer field from a million different angles, the kids playing games in the pool from a million different angles, and the millions of different facial expressions the kids all made growing up. Not only was he able to live every moment through his photos, but he had an uncanny knack of recalling the oddest moments, like conversations in which he would tell you that you mentioned hating the color orange 12 years ago.

David is survived by his ex-wife June Doty of Tucson. His daughter Leah McCoy and her two daughters, Jamie and Carina McCoy of Tucson. His other daughter Maris Doty of San Diego, California. His two sisters: Ruth Brown (Buddy) of Pinetop, Arizona and Margaret Mundy (Stark) Of Amherst, Virginia. He spread his family to encompass Ron and Naomi McCoy of Tucson and their little 1 1/2 year old Sophie, of whom he was amused, and of whom he probably already had aspirations of watching her run around on the soccer field.

He is preceded by his brother John, who spent some of his last time driving down to Tucson to visit with David. He is also preceded by his parents Mac and Florence Doty.

There will be a memorial celebration on May 11th, from 10am to 2pm. It will be held at the museum that is his house. For additional information, or to RSVP, please contact June Doty at 520-749-3482.