Dorothy Jane Frisk

1921 - 2019

Dorothy Jane Frisk

Feb. 5, 1921 - July 5, 2019

SOUTH BEND, IN - Dorothy Jane Frisk, 98 years young, passed away two weeks ago, on July 5, 2019.

Wife, mom, grammie and best friend, Dottie was a bright, accomplished and caring lady who both loved and was loved.

Our mom was born on February 5, 1921 to Sumner Burke Shimp and Irene (Shirley) Shimp on South Walnut Street, Muncie, Indiana. Dottie to friends, Janie to family, she attended Emerson Grade School and Muncie High School. After one year at Ball State University, she switched to Indiana University from which she was graduated in 1943. While at IU, Dottie participated in many stage productions including one with the later prolific actor, Andrew Duggan.

A member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and the Glee Club, Dottie could often be found playing bridge at the Commons, which is where she met in 1943 the love of her life, Arthur William Frisk. Art, a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity, and Dottie hit it off immediately, often playing bridge, dancing and enjoying boilermakers at the Rendezvous. Their engagement soon followed. Upon graduation, Art stayed to complete his ROTC training, while Dottie returned home to Cleveland and a new position at radio station WJW as women's director. This included producing and hosting The Jane Shirley Show, an on-air news and talk show airing five mornings a week that included interviewing many local and national celebrities, notable among them being Gloria Swanson and Bing Crosby.

Following V-J Day, Art returned from Europe and the couple was married at her parents' home on Park Avenue on August 24, 1946. They eventually settled in South Bend where Art attended and was graduated from Notre Dame Law School. When dad was called up for the Korean War, they lived at Camp Atterbury for nearly a year. Upon returning to South Bend, mom then hosted a morning television talk show at WNDU (NBC), but after several years returned home to concentrate on raising her family. In 1970 she was lured back to TV to take over Homemaker's Time, promptly renamed the Dorothy Frisk Show, a morning talk, news, cooking and gossip hour, which she produced and hosted for 10 years at WSBT (CBS). Notable guests included James Brolin, Bob Hope, Henry Fonda, Lawrence Welk and Phyllis Diller. Through all these years, mom also served as a substitute teacher for the South Bend Schools and was active in Service Guild. Together and for 40 years, mom and dad also spent and raised their family at sparkling Diamond Lake, along with many winters in Ft. Myers, Florida.

An avid bridge player, voracious reader and fan of sit-ups and M&M's in the evening, which changed to wine and croutons in her later years, mom defied the odds and was active, charming and irascible right up to the end of her 98 and a half years.

Mom's love, husband and best friend, Art, predeceased her after 61 years of marriage in 2007, and she is survived by her children, G. Scott (Joan) of South Bend, S. Gary (Kathleen) of Houston, Deborah J. Hitchcock (Craig) of Simsbury, CT, and R. Randall (Gina) of Indianapolis; six grandchildren, Anneke, Megan, Lauren, Nick, Michael, and Jackson; and five great-grandchildren, Carson, Stella, Ilya, Oliver, and Cooper. She has now joined Art and gone to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A gathering and celebration of her life will be held from 1-3 p.m., Sunday July 21 at Andre Place, 54515 SR 933, Notre Dame, Indiana.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Center for Hospice or to First Presbyterian Church.