Dorothy Morgan

Dorothy Morgan (Hinsley) , 82, died November 27 at the Tokarski Home in Salem, Oregon after an extended illness. Dorothy is survived by her husband Jack, her sister Betsy, her adult children, Aaron and Holly, 3 adult stepchildren, 7 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.

Dorothy was born in Steele City, Nebraska. The family relocated to Lincoln County Oregon in 1945 where she attended DeLake and Taft High School, graduating in 1959. Dorothy was married for the first time in 1966 to Edward Wilkalis. They had 2 children together before he died in 1984. After Edward’s death, she raised her kids as a single mom for several years before reconnecting with Jack, a former classmate, at a high school reunion. They dated for several years before marrying in 2001.

As an adult, she attended Chemeketa Community College studying criminal justice and early childhood education. Before retiring, she worked with several schools as an educational aide and then later as technical support in the TMobile call center, where she prided herself on her ability to keep up with technological changes despite her age. In her younger years she was an active volunteer for several local causes and political campaigns. One of her proudest moments in recent times was the thank you letter she received from the Obama campaign staff for her work on his campaign.

For Dorothy there was no such thing as a stranger, just a potential friend she hadn’t met yet. She loved reading with her grandkids, taking walks with her dog, and playing ukulele with a local group. Christmas was her favorite holiday, she loved baking cookies and trying to one up her neighbors’ Christmas light displays.

At Dorothy's request, the family will not be holding a funeral.

If you would like to make a donation in her memory, we would suggest Oregon Humane Society, where she adopted her beloved Gilbert, or WVH Tokarski Home, which provided her with the best possible care during her last few months.