Obituary of Dorothy Willard

Dorothy Willard, beloved wife and mother, passed away peacefully in Niceville, Fla., on March 18, 2014. Dorothy was born on Aug. 16, 1932, in Wilkes County, N.C., to Nan and Oscar Walls. She and her husband, Dairrell, made Fort Walton Beach, Fla., their home since 1967. She loved cooking and preparing wonderful family favorites for dinners for her large family. She took great pleasure in gardening and caring for her yard.Dorothy is survived by Dairrell Willard, her husband of 60 years. Siblings include her brother, Raymond Walls (Vivian), and her sisters, Onnalee Hooker, Lola Caudill (Glen), Minnie Callahan, Velma Fulp (Don), all of North Carolina. She is also survived by her children, Teresa Giffin (Mike) of Burlington, Iowa, Michael Willard of North Carolina, Debbie Hilvar (Rick) of Fort Walton Beach, Colene Gage (Chris) of Clermont, Fla., Dairrell Willard Jr. of Fort Walton Beach and Clint Willard (Pam) of Niceville. Her 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren were her greatest joy.The family will have a gathering of family and friends to honor Dorothy's life on Friday, March 21, from 4 to 7 p.m., at the family home of Dairrell and Dorothy on Sotir Street in Fort Walton Beach. The family would like to extend a special thank you to staff and the nurses at Twin Cities Hospital for the compassionate care provided Dorothy.