Dorothy 'Dotte' Bauknight

Dorothy Jane Bryant Bauknight, 'Dotte' to all who knew her, died on July 22, 2024, at home in Irmo, South Carolina, embraced and comforted by loved ones. She was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 63 years, her beloved Bubba (Harry Bauknight), and by her brother, Ron Kendrick, with whose wife Shirley she shared a decades-long bond forged through their lives as military wives. Her survivors include daughters Alisia Carey and Amy Parler (Vince Carrigan); son Lee Bauknight (Brooke Rollins); and nephew Brian Cunningham; grandchildren Halsey French (Brian) and Cooper Bauknight; great-grandchildren Fiona and Finnley French; and other family members in the Carolinas, Florida, and elsewhere.

Dotte was a remarkable and remarkably strong woman. To hear her tell it, her early life was like a childhood myth: She lived in North Carolina and traveled up and down the East Coast, surrounded by musicians and artists, moonshiners and military men, hunters and carnival circuit show folk, all held together by women as strong and resourceful as she was. She graduated from high school two years early, went to work, met and married a Marine, and raised a family who tested her resolve but who loved her in ways that words can only aspire to convey.

Through it all she was a devoted and loving servant of the Lord. She shared God's light by leading Bible studies, teaching Sunday School, supporting and going on mission trips, managing a food pantry, and making herself available to anyone who needed help.

Curious and generous to the end, Dotte donated her body to science. There will be no funeral or memorial service, out of respect for her wishes. In lieu of flowers or donations, those who would like to honor Dotte's memory should hug their loved ones, squeeze tight, and smile.