Dorothy "Dottie" Coombs

Dorothy "Dottie" Joan Coombs (ne Goessling), 67, of Memphis, Tennessee, passed away peacefully Sunday, April 5, 2026. She is survived by her children Will Coombs, Mary Nell Coombs, and Jonathan Coombs (Lydian), of Memphis, Tennessee; and her sister Deborah Goessling, of Byhalia, Mississippi. She is preceded in death by her parents, Erwin and Nell Goessling, of Mobile, Alabama; her sister, Margaret Malone, of Loxley Alabama; and her brother, Karl Goessling, of Horn Lake, Mississippi.

Dottie was born in Memphis, Tennessee, where she was raised for the first half of her childhood before the family relocated to Mobile, Alabama, for the remainder of her youth. She attended Memphis State University for undergraduate studies, then Auburn University, where she attended the School of Veterinary Medicine. A lover of all animals since childhood, Dottie was a practicing veterinarian for several years before leaving work to raise her three children. Although no longer in the veterinary world, her life was filled with animals and nature. She spent time teaching science classes to groups of local homeschooled children, and she raised butterflies for butterfly houses across the country. In her later years, Dottie dedicated her time to causes she believed in. She was the activist of the family- door knocking for local politicians, and attending protests. She was an advocate for victims of domestic violence, helping those in need in any way she could. In her free time you could find Dottie with her nose in a book, tending to her garden (only the best for the butterflies), or doting on her cats, Max and Astrid. Above all else Dottie loved her three children, Will, Mary Nell, and Jonathan, who knew no greater, unconditional love than hers.

Please join us in celebrating her life Sunday, April 12, 2026, between the hours of 12pm to 3pm, at the Kennin family residence, 7756 Cross Village Drive, Germantown,TN. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the NO MORE Foundation at nomore.org.