Dorothy Ann Park

Dorothy Ann Park Head, 85, passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 25, 2009 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease. Dorothy was born in Orem, Utah on April 14, 1923 to Dean and Bertha Park. She married Richard V. Hanseen in the Salt Lake LDS Temple, in June of 1944.They had three children, Richard (Betty), Paul, and Robyn (Robert Curtis). Then in August 1952, she lost her love and eternal companion to a heart condition caused by Rheumatic Fever. Five years later she met the second love of her life, Dr. Robert W. Head (Bob). They were married in November 1957, and had three more children, Robert (Nancy), Julie(John McDonald), and Randy (Rochele). In 1958, she welcomed into her home her 6-month old niece, Jennifer (Stephen Goldstein), after her sister Lou Jean and husband Melvin Nimer were tragically taken from this life. Her home would often swell from seven children to nine, as she opened her heart and home to Bob's boys from a previous marriage, Michael and Christopher. In 1980 she lost Bob, after a short but valiant battle with cancer. She truly believed in the words of Thoreau that "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." She was an active member of the LDS church. She loved the Lord and grew in her understanding and knowledge of the gospel and loved serving the Lord in many callings.Dorothy was preceded in death by both of her husbands, sister Lou Jean Nimer, brother Richard Park, her parents, and her grandson David Curtis. She is survived by her brother Russell Park, her children, 21 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

My Grandma Head was an incredible woman. She was extremely talented and creative, as hardworking as they come, and is a true example of enduring to the end. I am grateful to have known her and feel lucky to be her granddaughter.

I remember a few funny things about my grandma that set her apart from the typical grandma. First, she was a bit of a health nut and rather than having freshly baked cookies for us, she served whole wheat crackers and trail mix (the kind lacking in m&ms). I was ok with that, I just picked out the pieces of dried pineapple. Yum. My grandma had to have been the most glamorous of all grandmas. I look at her pictures and realize how much I would love to wear what she was wearing. She had inpecable taste and it carried from her wardrobe to her home. My grandma designed and built a beautiful home in Mt. Olympus Cove (that is east of Holladay for those non-Salt Lakers). With the Architectural Digest by her side, she had every room decorated to perfection.

One of my favorite memories is getting to play in her bathroom. First of all, it was absolutely enormous! Secondly, she kept a drawer of all of her old make-up that we were allowed to use. What else could a girl want? ...Ok wait, I wonder if maybe the drawer wasn't necessarily for play, she just didn't get mad at me when I got caught. Either way, a very sweet grandma, indeed.

I love you Grandma.