Doris Dodd Swanson Velasquez, 84, passed away Monday, March 30, 2009.
Funeral Services will be Thursday, April 2, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Port Neches. Interment will follow at Oak Bluff Memorial Park.
The family will receive family and friends on Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home in Beaumont.
She was born February 10, 1925 in Bay City to Travis and Sadie Dodd, Sr.
Doris is survived by her children, John Swanson of Phoenix, AZ, Sherrie Swanson Giuffrida of Dallas and Stephen Swanson of Groves; granddaughter, Eva Swanson and great grandson Cheyne Bordage both of Mauriceville.
She was preceded in death by her brother, Travis "Bubba" Dodd, Jr.; sister, Reta Dykes; husbands, Joseph Swanson and Robert Velasquez, Sr.
Doris had a Masters Degree from Lamar University and was a Speech Therapist with the Pt Neches-Groves School district retiring after 16 years. Among some of her accomplishments, she was organizer and the first director of the Texas Earth Angel Collector Club. At its peak, her home in Orange held over 3000 angels and dolls. She often gave impromptu tours and was the focus of multiple newspaper articles. She lectured to clubs on the art of handwriting analysis and did many analyses at the old Leo & Willie's in Port Arthur. In her retirement she was a volunteer Speech Therapist who sometimes worked with stroke victims to regain their speech.
The family would like to thank Sue McNeely, a special friend and caregiver to Doris. You stood by us like a sister through thick and thin.