Lesch, Dorothy R.

Dorothy R. Lesch, 94, passed from this life to her eternal home with her Lord on Monday, October 11, 2021.  She was born on December 26, 1926 to Eula Marie and Thomas Lee Roe in Arkoma, Oklahoma. She gave her life to Christ at a young age and was a lifelong member of the Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Louis Missouri.

Around 1927, her family moved to Sedalia, MO where she spent her childhood.  She graduated from Smith Cotton High School in 1944.  After high school she worked as a Secretary at Washington Elementary School then worked at Whiteman Airforce Base. She moved to St. Louis in 1953 where she worked as a bookkeeper for an auto dealership.  She ended her bookkeeping career when she retired from the Bee Hat Company in St. Louis MO.

While working at the auto dealership she met a salesman and the love of her life, Theodore F. Lesch.  They were married on August 12, 1959. Together they made a beautiful life full of wonderful memories.  They would travel the United States together. While Ted was working on his photography business, Dorothy would scour antiques stores and shops looking for red glass.  They had several rental properties in St Louis.   Together they had a heart to serve those in need and were always willing to help anyone who asked.

After her husband passed in 1980, she remained in St. Louis until February 2016 when she moved to Florida to live with her sister.  In March 2020 she moved to Truman Lake Manor Nursing Home in Lowry City MO where she lived out the remainder of her life.

Dorothy had several hobbies.  She was always reading. Her sister used to say she never saw the sun, or played outside because she couldn’t get her nose out of a book.  Later in life she found out the outdoors wasn’t so bad and loved to sit outside on her covered deck reading a book, watching the sunset or better yet watching a storm come in.  She enjoyed tending her plants and flowers. Her favorite flower was red and pink roses.  She loved to play cards especially bridge.  She would play bridge 3-4 times a week.  Dorothy loved to travel, it didn’t matter if it was by bus, train, air or ship she was ready to go.  Cruising was her favorite way to travel.  She took a ship relocation cruise and spent 2 months on the ship.  The last cruise she took was with her sister and niece Tammy to the Caribbean.

Throughout most of her life she never had pets, said she didn’t want one.  Later, she agreed to provide temporary housing for a black cat named Crockett.  When the owner came to retrieve his pet, Dorothy decided she was keeping the cat.  She found out she really enjoyed having a pet.  After that she always had a cat, she would say “cats are easier than dogs. They’re self-sufficient, you don’t have to walk them or let them out. “

She was such a special lady.  She had a refined elegance but was tough at the same time.  She believed everyone should be immersed in culture and learn to accept individuals as they are.  She was love by many and dearly missed by all who knew her.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband Theodore Lesch; parents, Eula and Thomas Roe; brother, Harold Roe; sister Linda Webb; half-sister Myrtle Barnes; niece Jeanne Gibson; and nephews Gregory Tuller, Keith Tuller and Tom Barnes. She is survived by niece Jo Ann Nesbit of Creve Coeur MO; niece Laura (Bob) Doane of Baltimore MD; niece Tammy (Len) Gilmore of Osceola MO; niece Lisa (Paul) Brown Soiana, Italy; nephew David (Eva) Roe Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; nephew Daniel Roe Jones Creek, TX; nephew Timothy Roe Ore City, TX; host of great-nieces, great nephews and friends.

SERVICES: Visitation at Kutis City Chapel (2906 Gravois Road St. Louis, Missouri 63118) on Friday, October 15, 12:00 noon until funeral service at 1:00 p.m. Interment Concordia Cemetery.