Dottie Mae Haggerty

On Thursday, February 23, 2012, Dottie Mae Haggerty, beloved mother, wife, and grandmother, passed peacefully into Heaven to be with Our Lord. She had endured a brave battle with complications from rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial lung disease.
Dottie was born Dorothy Mae Fallgren on August 13,1924, in Los Angeles, to her mother, the former Susan Gaines, and her father, Clarence Theodore Fallgren. She was the twin sister of Clarence Theodore "Ted" Fallgren Jr. Her stepfather of 30 years, William Dever Johnson Jr., also held a special place in her heart.
At the age of 10, Dottie won the title of "Little Miss Los Angeles." She attended elementary school in Los Angeles and high school in San Diego. In her early years, Dottie worked as a bank teller. At the same time, she was also a popular fashion model and singer. Her stage name was "Dee Lorraine" and her favorite musical genre was jazz.
Dottie met her husband-to-be, FBI Agent Patrick J. Haggerty Jr., in 1951. Their first date was at both the Marine Room in La Jolla and the El Cortez Sky Room in San Diego. They married the following year at Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla. When Mr. Haggerty was assigned to San Francisco, the couple relocated and began their family, eventually having two sons and a daughter. They lived in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay areas until the 1980s, when they returned to live permanently in La Jolla. Dottie and Pat Haggerty quietly supported a variety of philanthropic causes.
Throughout the decades, the center of Dottie's life has been her family. She is survived by her husband and partner of 60 years, Patrick J. Haggerty Jr.; her elder son, Dr. Patrick J. "Rick" Haggerty III and his wife, Rosie Ribeiro Haggerty; her younger son, Dr. Colin M. Haggerty and his wife, Cathleen Roche Haggerty; and her daughter, Dr. Holly Haggerty Sokolowski and her husband, Dr. Bernd Sokolowski. She also is survived by her beloved grandchildren, Patrick Haggerty IV, Kelly Haggerty, Sophia Sokolowski, Colin Haggerty Jr., Kyle Haggerty, Cameron Haggerty, and Mary Haggerty.
To those who knew Dottie, she will be remembered for her joyful spirit and generous, loving nature. She had a song on her lips for every occasion, and her inner beauty even outshone her immeasurable outer beauty.
The Haggerty Family would like to acknowledge the wonderful care shown to Dottie by the nurses and doctors of San Diego Hospice, as well as to Tanya Haupt for her loving assistance during Dottie's final days.
A Mass of the Resurrection celebrating Dottie's life on earth and the continuing journey of her soul in Heaven will take place on Monday, March 5, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. at Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, California.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Dottie to Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 7669 Girard Ave., La Jolla, CA 92037, 858-454-2631, www.marystarlajolla.org or San Diego Hospice Foundation, 4311 Third Ave., San Diego, CA 92103, 619-278-6100, www.sdhospice.org.