Doris Elaine Long, 78
Doris Elaine Long, 78, passed away Thursday, March 26, 2009, at Brendan House in Kalispell. She was born on April 26, 1930, in Minneapolis, to Joseph and Susan (Mliner) Loss.
She was known as "Doree" by her friends and family and was born into her family, being number eight, and joining seven brothers and sisters. In July 1935 her family moved to Brainerd, Minn., where her Czechoslovakian immigrant parents bought a farm on which Doree lived until she was 19 years old.
In 1948, she moved to Los Angeles to be with her sister, Susan, where she took a job at Bank of America as a teller. In 1951, Doree moved back to Minnesota and made a visit to see her brother Bob in Indiana, where he was stationed in the Army.
It was at this time Doree met Phil Anderson, her future husband. Upon fulfilling his duty with the Army, Phil returned to his hometown of Seattle. After several visits, Doree eventually moved to Washington and married Phil in 1952.
In 1956, her son, Jeff, was born, and three years later her daughter, Susan, followed. Divorced after only eight years of marriage, Doree, as she liked to be called, as she had never liked the name Doris, raised her two children as a single parent, working at the Boeing Company as a systems analyst.
Doree was an avid and accomplished ballroom dancer. On the weekends she would spend one of the nights dancing for hours on end. It was on one of these evenings in 1971 that Doree met Bruce Long, her second husband. Bruce and Doree were married in 1972. During this time Doree took up many hobbies - one of her favorites was gardening. Doree always had the most beautiful flowers and yard in the neighborhood.
On July 6, 1981, Nicolas, Doree's only grandchild, was born to her son, Jeff. Nick was the love of her life and she was so proud of him.
In 1989, Doree retired from Boeing and enjoyed spending her free time on her hobbies and with her kids and grandchild. Doree loved to cook and bake.
Doree moved to Montana in October 2005, when her children convinced her to move to Bigfork. Doree's short time in Montana was not nearly long enough, but one thing for sure was how much she loved the summers but, like most of us, wished the winters were shorter. Even though Doree was only here a short time, her outgoing nature and ability to relate to people allowed her to make many new friends. Doree had a spirit and heart much greater in size than could ever be contained by her petite physical body. She always put other people's needs ahead of her own. She loved her family and friends with a passion.
Doree will be dearly missed by all of her family and friends whose lives she touched with her grace and love.
Doree is survived by son, Jeff Anderson, of Bigfork; daughter, Susan Anderson, of Ferndale; and grandson, Nick Dionigi-Anderson, of Auburn, Wash.; and her brother, Robert Loss, of Brainerd.
Funeral services for Doree will be held at 1 p.m. Monday, April 6, in the Johnson-Gloschat Funeral chapel in Kalispell, with Pastor Joe Strandjord officiating. Burial will be afterward at the Bigfork Community Cemetery.
Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Doree's family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and sign Doree's guest book.