Dorothy Dell Pinkerton (Dot), age 100, of Salem, passed away on October 19, 2023. She was born December 20, 1922 to Harold Whitman Downing and Bertha Brown Downing in Decatur, Alabama. The sixth of eight children.
From an early age, mom was an amazing pianist, playing the piano for her church congregation where her mother was the pastor, from the age of 12. She had the incredible talent of playing by ear; when the music wasn’t available, she could just hear the tune and play any song. She graduated from Poly High in Long Beach, Ca., the first of the girls to do so. She and her sisters sang in a quartet, all the old hymns, with mom on the piano of course.
On March 9, 1941 she married Stanley Pinkerton, and together they had five children. She is survived by daughter Lavauna Ellsworth of Utah, son Jay (Betty) Pinkerton of Wyoming, son Greg (Helen) Pinkerton of Turner, Oregon and daughter Donna (Tony) Kamstra of Gates, Oregon. Her beloved son, Steve Pinkerton, passed away in April of 2018.
In her youth, her family spent a great part of their lives living on the desert and that area became a special place to all of them throughout the years.
Her family that have gone before her include her parents; four brothers Harmon, Herman, June, and Raymond; sisters Bernice and Marie; her granddaughters Launa and Lindi; and her husband, Stan. Her little sis Lillian is living in California and just visited mom a few weeks ago.
She was an incredible grandmother of 16, great grandmother of 43, and great great grandmother of 24.
Mom worked in the medical field as a CNA, and also worked as a teachers’ aid and pianist at a school for mentally challenged children. She was still playing the piano three months before her death. An amazing woman, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt.. She gave the gift of music to all of us, and she will be so very missed… especially when the music plays.
Private services were held at VTG, Pastor Glen Hossler officiating. Burial will be next to dad in Turner, Oregon.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.vtgolden.com for the Pinkerton family.
