On Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026, at 1:40pm, Dorothy Lavon Ruth Mattimore, a loving sister, mother, grandmother, widow, and friend to many, passed away at her home with her daughters at her bedside. She had lived a life of perfect health until 81 when she lost a 7-month battle to stage 4 pancreatic cancer with the utmost strength and grace.

Dottie was born on July 30th, 1944, to Mildred and Andrew Ruth, starting life as the youngest of 5 in a humble and loving West Tulsa Garden City home just off Route 66, south of the Tulsa refineries. When mom was in kindergarten, her family moved to a farm off West 56th street, now known as Bright Morning Farm venue. Grandpa built the home and red barn that stand strong today. Mom went to first grade in the old limestone school that was in Prattville. As a teenager, the family moved again to Los Angeles where mom went to eighth grade and met the love of her life, Jim, at 14. James Paul Mattimore joined the Navy at 16 and was assigned a tour of duty on the Carrier U.S.S. Midway as a jet mechanic. Dottie started a 20-year career as a hairdresser while she waited for her man. Jim was honorably discharged from the Navy to marry Dottie on October 26, 1962. The birth of their two daughters, Valerie and Julia, followed 5 and 7 years. The girls grew up in the shadow of Jim and Dottie's 61-year love story and 57-year marriage. Each daughter now has a loving spouse and two children of their own: Valerie's husband Raed Allami, daughter Sarah Jane Aislinn Fuller, son Zade Andrew James Allami, and Julia's husband Corry Bart, son Kevin Alexander Bart, and daughter Chloe Elizabeth Bart.

Dottie had an interesting career of treasured hobbies. Cosmetology, oil painting, genealogy, gardening, sewing, knitting, macrame, ceramics, and  water-coloring.  To help both her daughters pay for college, she also worked in photography. When her daughters graduated and settled into their own careers, Dottie loved going on long road trips with Jim, especially out west to Palm Springs (where they had honeymooned). When Jim retired, Dottie opened an art studio in 1998 in downtown Sapulpa called “Local Color” until 2006. During that time, she created many watercolors of the Sapulpa historic downtown buildings and many other Route 66 images, such as desert birds on cactus, rusting old cars, and weathered buildings.

She had her first grandchild in 2001, Sarah, who was so exposed to her grandmother’s art from a young age that she is now an art teacher at Monte Cassino. Mom dropped almost everything except antiquing to dote on her grandchildren: 2006 with Kevin, 2008 with Chloe, and 2015 with Zade. In 2018, Dottie joined the Sapulpa Nancy Green Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In 2019 she lost Jim and used the entire pandemic to grieve. After her grief, she traveled extensively with her daughters and grandchildren, kept collecting glassware and teapots, and served as the registrar for the DAR up until her cancer diagnosis September of 2025.

Meeting Dottie in heaven last Wednesday: her loving parents, Mildred and Andrew Ruth, her loving brothers Jimmy and Phil, the love of her life, Jim, Jim’s loving sister Mary Ann, and many more dear family and friends.

 Dottie is survived by her loving daughters, her loving sons-in-law, her 4 grandchildren, her big sister Deloris Conway and her husband Sonny, her big brother Richard who spent one of the last weeks of his little sister’s life right by her side, holding her hand.

 We all will sorely miss her kindness, care, and the details of the littlest but most important things in life that she gave her attention to every day.  You are so loved!

Donations can be made to the Sapulpa Nancy Green Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) via Micaela Chisum at nancygreendar@gmail.com.