Lendel Louise Doty

News Death Notice

DOTY, Lendel Louise , nee Davis 51, of Oakwood, passed away early Thursday, Jun 19th after a 3 1/2 year long, courageous battle with colon cancer. Lendel was born March 7, 1957 in Ilion, New York to Donald and Fay Davis. Lendel graduated from Ilion High School in 1975, and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Relations from Utica College of Syracuse University in 1980. She was a member of the Organization of Triangles and in 1974 won the title as the New York State Sweetheart of DeMolay International. In that capacity she traveled the State of New York performing community service for hospitalized children and giving speeches about the importance of education and one's duty to home, God, and country. She married her hometown sweetheart, John Doty on May 31, 1980 and thereafter became a loving and supportive wife and mother. Her oldest daughter, Adrienne (24) was born in Dayton, while Claire (19) and Barrett (18) were born in West Lafayette, Indiana. Her children were the joy of her life. During her 28-year marriage, Lendel lived in Buffalo, NY, West Lafayette, IN, Annapolis, MD, and three different times in Dayton, OH. Lendel loved gardening, sewing, and being a sports mom. She was a talented seamstress and worked for some time at the Stitching Post in Dayton. She also generously volunteered her skills by making the drapes for E.D. Smith Elementary School's Library, the costuming for Miss Camille's annual Ballet Recitals, and the costumes for Oakwood High School's musicals including "The Princess and The Pea", "The Music Man", and "Anything Goes". She also made personalized tea cozies, kitchen towels, and surgeons' caps for the doctors and nurses who took care of her. In addition, Lendel was an incredible cook and generously donated her many delicious creations to the Oakwood Orchestra's Cherry Pie Concerts and the Oakwood High School Football & Volleyball Teams. Her favorite yearly donation was dressing her husband up in a Santa Clause costume she made, decorating their car, and bringing homemade cookies to the young service members who had to pull Christmas Eve and Christmas Day guard duty at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. But Lendel's selfless spirit was also evidenced both during and after her battle with colon cancer; she participated in a Clinical Trial at Duke University in the hopes of finding a cure and then, upon her death, donated her corneas to a living recipient, and her body to the Wright State University Medical School. Lendel is survived by her loving and devoted husband John of 28 years; her children Adrienne Lourdes (Alejdin Vishi), Claire Elizabeth, and Barrett Winslow, all of Oakwood; her parents, Donald and Fay (Guhring) Davis of Ilion, NY; two brothers from Ilion, Brett Davis and his children Brandon (Mystic, CT) and Audrey (Ilion, NY), and brother Shawn Davis and his children Amanda (Schuyler, NY) and Ashley (Schuyler, NY), her uncle, Dr. Donald T. Olson (Jupiter, FL) and his children Caron (South Bend, IN), Jean (Chicago, IL), Jon (South Bend, IN), Lori (Valparaiso, IN), and all their family of South Bend, IN; her wonderful parents-in-law, brothers and sisters-in-law, and their children, and her beloved German Shepherd, Heika. Lendel was preceded in death by her paternal grandfather, Charles Davis of Ilion, NY; her maternal grandparents, H. Frederick Guhring and Agnes (Lenz) Guhring of Litchfield, NY; a very special maternal aunt, Elinor Olson (South Bend, IN), a maternal uncle, Jon Frederick Guhring of Ilion, NY; and a host of other Davis relatives. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, June 29th, 2008 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 33 West Dixon Avenue, Oakwood at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Lendel asks that you contribute to her daughter Claire's "Relay for Life" Team. She also asks "you honor my memory by enjoying each day, loving your children, and not sweating the small stuff."