Dorothy Marie Crafton Clarke, age 78, passed away at her home on June 22, 2023.
Dottie was born in Nashville, Tennessee to the late Lundy Newt and Maggie Irene Heaton Crafton. She was a fifth-generation resident of Williamson County and grew up in the Bethesda-Cross Keys community.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Raymond Crafton; and her sister, Margaret Crafton Strickland.
She is survived by her loving and faithful husband of 59 years, Hartwell Gary Clarke, II; her twin daughters, Dabney (Adam) Kirk, and Courtney (Wilson) Hensley; sister; Josie (Hugh) Jarratt; and brother, Charles Crafton; grandchildren, Elizabeth Hensley, Samuel Kirk, Ethan Kirk, and Jackson Hensley; and niece and nephews Debbie (Ricky) Stanfill, Danny Strickland, and Chris Crafton.
Dottie was the valedictorian of her senior class at Bethesda High School where she graduated in 1962. She won many awards as voted by her peers and was also voted for girl’s state by the high school staff.
Dottie met her soon-to-be husband on a blind date when she was just 19 years old while he was in the Air Force stationed in Tullahoma, TN. They were smitten and eloped to Ringgold, GA two days after she turned 20 on July 17, 1964. She adored him and always shared fond memories of their meeting, their courtship and their life together.
She worked as a long-distance operator, then as an Administrative Assistant at Baird Ward Printing Company, then as an Executive Secretary at Vanderbilt Medical Center before becoming a devoted stay at home mother.
Dottie wanted children very much. She was thrilled when she gave birth to twin girls, much to her surprise as she was led to believe she was having a nine-pound baby boy. She was a wonderful mother who never missed an event and was always there to support her children. Although she was not employed outside of the home, she worked tirelessly assisting at the school, with the band, with the PTO, and was the first to volunteer her time for any function her kids were involved with.
When her daughters were married, Dottie happily accepted the role of doting Mother-In-Law. She always strived to be there for advice and support.
When the grandchildren arrived, she stepped naturally into her Nana role and began making monogrammed items and helping the kids with all the craft projects. She made the best banana pancakes and loved to teach her granddaughter how to bake and sew. She was super proud of all their accomplishments and attended all the events no matter what time or how far she had to drive to attend. We always knew that Nana would show up.
Dottie was known for her exquisite hand quilting as well as other crafts and won many first-place ribbons for her work. She was heavily involved with her community and a member of the Friendly Neighbors, a Family and Community Education (FCE) club. She had many friends and mentored many crafters over the years. Many people have enjoyed her handmade gifts and talents. Dottie was a Master gardener who loved being outdoors. She was one of a small group of women who founded the Nolensville Public Library.
Dottie was a faithful Christian woman who encouraged faith in her children. She was a prominent example of a godly wife and mother. She and her husband, Gary, were married faithfully for 59 years. He was a devoted husband who took care of her beautifully, especially over these last few years as it became more challenging due to her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. He made every sacrifice to have her home and truly walked out the marriage vows of “in sickness and in health”. The family benefited from seeing the amount of love and care that he took for Dottie as she declined.
We as a family would like to say a special thank you to Josie for her unfaltering support, care, and devotion to her sister. She brought strength and support when we needed her. She was available and willing to help in any way and we do not know if we could have gotten through without her. We also would like to thank Alive Hospice for being true angels throughout the process. There are not enough words to express how amazing Tara, Jody, Alora, and Cami have been to help Gary take care of Dottie in a difficult time.
Visitation with the family will be held on Monday, June 26, 2023, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Woodbine Funeral Home, Hickory Chapel, 5852 Nolensville Road, Nashville, TN 37211. Graveside service will be at Nolensville Cemetery at 9888 Clovercroft Road, Nolensville, TN 37135 on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. https://www.woodbinefuneralhome.com
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a charity of your choice that gives back to your community as Dottie did throughout her life.
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