Dorothy "Dot" Pinnix Dorsett

Dorothy "Dot" Pinnix Dorsett of Nokomis, Florida, formerly of Newport and Morehead City, North Carolina, went home to her Heavenly Father on November 23, 2023.

 

Dot was born September 1, 1926, in Jonesville, NC. She was preceded in death by her parents, Grady and Maude Pinnix, brother, Rex who died as an infant in 1923, an older sister, Freddie Holcomb of Hampton, VA who passed in 1989, and a younger sister, Frances Martin Holder of Dobson, NC, who passed in 2007.

 

Raised in Jonesville, NC during the Depression years, Dot and her sisters helped to maintain the home, while her parents worked at the local mill, Chatham Manufacturing. As a young girl, she would rise early to milk the cow, make breakfast, and be to school on time. After graduating from high school, Dot attended Campbell College. After college, Dot returned home, where she would marry her true love, Fred Dorsett. All three sisters were married within months of each other, and Dot wore a custom dress made by her mother for the occasion. For her wedding, Dot carried a prayer book with an orchid on top, and both of her daughters carried the same prayer book when they were married.

 

After moving to Newport, Dot worked at the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company known to many as A&P, as a cashier and a bookkeeper. Once children arrived, Dot became a housewife and was involved in all their activities. Always eager to serve, she was a grade mother for all her children, Camp Fire Girls leader, Little League, and Pop Warner concessions volunteer. She lovingly nurtured not only her own children, but many in the community. After her children graduated from school, she went to work at Hi­lites where she quickly formed special friendships with her coworkers.

 

Dot found great joy in God1s creation... marveling at the clouds, feeding animals, and nurturing plants. She was passionate about gardening and working in her yard, even trimming branches and cleaning up leaves at the age of 97. She was also an avid walker, no matter the weather. Her walks afforded her the opportunity to indulge her passion for talking to people. She never met a stranger and never missed a chance to encourage someone and brighten their day. But Dot’s greatest love was her Lord, Jesus Christ. At the age of 27, she and Fred were founding members of Newport Baptist Church. As a member of the church's Evangelism Team, she spread God1s love around the community and invited people to church.

 

Dot also taught Sunday School and worked in Vacation Bible School for many years in Newport and also at First Baptist Church in Morehead City, where the family later relocated. Dot’s passion for investing time in people wasn't limited to children. As a young adult, she developed strong friendships with many ladies much older than her. She regularly visited homebound people in the community and was a regular visitor at numerous nursing homes, where she would visit those who rarely had a visitor. At church, she also lead Girls in Action and helped in the kitchen with Thursday Noon Luncheons. For years, Dot, along with close friends, Charity Beck, Clarice Wynn, Zola Brown, and Betty Clonts met weekly to pray for the sick, the hurting, and the lost. This group of ladies knew that "...the prayer of the upright is his delight." Proverbs 15:8

 

Those left to treasure her memory include her children, Mark Dorsett, Amy Nelson, and Jenny Dorsett Bowman (Clark) and grandchildren, Kelly Mansfield, Jake Dorsett and Gabe Dorsett. She also leaves behind devoted friend and caregiver, Kristen McKnight.

 

A graveside gathering at Gethsemane will be announced at a later date.

 

Memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church Morehead City or OneMoreChild.org.