Joseph Michael Dort

Joseph Michael DortJune 27, 1964 – October 6, 2025 Cottonwood, Arizona

Joseph “Joe” Michael Dort, 61, of Cottonwood, Arizona, passed away peacefully on October 6, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.

Joe was born in Elgin, Illinois, on June 27, 1964, to Paul Edward Dort and Suzanne Marie (Devereux) Dort. He spent his early years in northern Illinois until age eight, when his family—on a spontaneous road trip—discovered Sedona, Arizona, fell in love with it, and purchased the C Motel (now the Sugar Loaf Lodge). Alongside his siblings, Joe helped his parents run the family business until they sold it and returned to Effingham, Illinois, in the 1980s.

After serving honorably in the Army National Guard, Joe built a life defined by family and craftsmanship. His talent as a carpenter took him many places, but his heart ultimately led him back home to Sedona in 1992. There, surrounded by family, he continued his trade and left his mark across the Verde Valley.

Joe and his former wife, Madeline Cummings (formerly Nellessen Dort), shared 20 years of marriage and raised four children together: Jacob (Celeste) Dort of Chandler, Arizona; Aaron (Kara) Dort of Mesa, Arizona; Paul (Melissa) Dort of Mesa, Arizona; and Margaret “Maggie” (Jim) Heard of McHenry, Illinois. He was the proud grandfather of eight grandchildren — Ella, Ryder, Maddox, Hudson, Bronson, Archer, Mason, and Avery.

He remained a devoted son to Paul and Sue Dort and a loyal brother to Jim (Marti), John, Jeanie (Wayne Wildes), and Dan (Vickie). He was preceded in death by his beloved sister, Peggy (Bob Riley), whose memory he carried with him always.

Joe was a lifelong Chicago sports fan — Bears, Cubs, Blackhawks, Bulls — but baseball always held his heart. He liked to joke that he was “just there to keep Dad company,” but the truth was he loved watching the Cubbies with his father and made sure they never missed a game.

Though not bound by blood, Joe shared an unshakable bond of brotherhood with his closest friends — Mike Wolff, Steve Walls, and Pat Egan — friendships built on loyalty, laughter, and a lifetime of shared stories.

What everyone will remember most about Joe was his sense of humor and dispositional optimism — a steady belief that things would work out, even when life got hard. He never took himself too seriously and somehow always knew the right thing to say to make everyone else feel at ease. He had a warm laugh, a generous spirit, a nickname for everyone, and a selflessness that ran deep — he might have had zero dollars to his name, but he’d still give you the shirt off his back. Those pieces of him live on in his children.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Chandler VFW on Monday, October 13th, at 5:00 p.m., during the Chicago Bears Monday Night Football game — just how Joe would have wanted it.