Dorothy Copeland Barer

Dorothy Copeland BARER Age 95, loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother passed away on October 23, peacefully, at her home in Seattle, Wash. Dorothy was born on May 17, 1912 in London, England to Dr. Wilfred and Bessie Copeland. The family resettled in Toronto and then Spokane, Wash. when Dorothy was 12. She was a professional journalist who worked as a reporter, and then as the society editor of The Spokane Press. She married David Barer in 1935 and moved to Walla Walla, Wash. Dorothy then retired as a journalist to devote her time to being a wife, homemaker and mother to their daughter, Jan, and sons, Stan and Burl. Dorothy enjoyed gardening, sewing, knitting, needlepoint, baking, reading, playing the piano, entertaining and many community activities. Among her many civic involvements were hours spent as a volunteer at St. Mary's Hospital. She and her husband were avid golfers and members of the Walla Walla Country Club and Cathedral Canyon Country Club in Palm Springs, Calif. They traveled extensively, and once their children were grown, spent six months of the year in Palm Springs, where they had a wide circle of friends. In addition to professional, social and service organizations, Dorothy and her husband were founding members of Congregation Beth Israel in Walla Walla. She was a member of Temple De Hirsh Sinai in Seattle and supporter of Temple Isaiah in Palm Springs. She was preceded in death by her parents and her two brothers, Sidney and Gordon Copeland. Dorothy's husband, David passed away in 1985, shortly after they celebrated fifty years of marriage. After his death, she moved to Seattle, continued to travel and divided her time between Washington state and California. She was a familiar figure in the Palm Springs social and philanthropic scene, often accompanying her daughter, former The Desert Sun Society Editor Jan Curran, to gala events. Along with a group of close desert friends, each year Dorothy looked forward to another season of parties, shows at the McCallum Theater, Desert Museum events, activities with the Palm Springs Women's Press Club, B'nai B'rith, attending the Palm Springs International Film Festival and trips to Los Angeles to see theater productions. She hosted an annual luncheon for Walla Walla friends vacationing in the Palm Springs area. Dorothy's greatest joy came from her family. She looked forward to family gatherings in Loon Lake, Seattle and Walla Walla, Wash., as well as Los Angeles and Palm Springs. She was exceptionally proud of her children and grand children and took great pleasure in being with them and keeping up with their interests and accomplishments. Known for her good cooking and especially wonderful cookies and pies, Dorothy wrote a cookbook for her family, sharing her recipes, many of them ones that had been handed down to her by her own mother. She is survived by her sister, Gertrude Zarkin of Seattle; her three children, Jan Curran, Ventura, Calif.; Stan (Alta) Seattle, Wash.; Burl Barer, Van Nuys, Calif.; grandchildren, Lee (Valerie) Goldberg, Calabasas, Calif., Karen (Bill) Dinino, Westlake Village, Calif., Linda (Dustin) Woods, Castaic, Calif., Tod Goldberg, La Quinta, Cal., Leigh Barer, Mercer Island, Wash; Aaron Barer, Seattle, Wash.; Anea Barer, Austin, Texas; Jordan Barer, Mill Creek, Wash; great grandchildren, Madison Goldberg, Calabasas, Calif.; Brent Dinino, Westlake Village, Calif.; Emily Dinino, Westlake Village, Calif.; Ethan Hunt, Mercer Island, Wash., Aaron J. Barer, Seattle, Wash.; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice. Graveside Services and Burial at 2:45 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2007, Mountain View Cemetery, 2120 South Second Avenue, Walla Walla.