Dorothy Helen Perry Fordyce

Dorothy Helen Perry Fordyce, 86, of Clifton passed away Sunday, May 15, 2016 at Goodall-Witcher Hospital. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 19, 2016 at First Baptist Church with Dr. Jerry Smith officiating. Burial at Clifton Memorial Park. Visitation will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at Clifton Funeral Home.

Dorothy Fordyce was born on January 3, 1930 in Waxahachie, Texas. She was raised by her mother and grew up in Dallas with a younger sister Jeanette. She went through the 8th grade in school. Across the years she gave birth to seven children. She raised her children at times as a single mother with tremendous difficulties. She worked as a waitress most of those years. She moved to Laguna Park in 1977 and then to Clifton here in 1983.

She worked in the Downtown Restaurant several years and then purchased the restaurant from Joe Schmidt. She owned and operated it until 1985 when she closed it. The restaurant had become a place where the Clifton football team would come and eat before games on Friday night. Dorothy had also become like a mother to many of the players washing their uniforms in her famous Wisk detergent concoction making them bright white.

Through the years, Dorothy has enjoyed keeping grandchildren and watching them grow up. She loved reading to them, scratching their backs, and she believed Mentholatum and rubbing alcohol could cure anything. She was an avid bingo player and also enjoyed table games. She worked for Walls Manufacturing for 10 years as a seamstress before finally retiring. Across the years, she had two pets she enjoyed, Blackie, a poodle, and Miss Bud, a long-haired dachshund.

She had been an active member in the First Baptist Church of Clifton, until ill-health forced her into a lesser role. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, and one son Bradley.

Survivors include her children, Kanieta Coulston and husband Richard of Lancaster, TX; Larry Sparks of Lancaster, TX; Debra Trammel Watson and husband Mark of Grandview TX; Cheryl Wise and husband David of Franklin, TN; Leslie Perry and wife Sherry of Clifton, TX; Helen Green and Husband Michael of Temple, TX; sister, Jeanette Rowland and husband Sidney of Dallas, TX; 14 grandchildren, Natalie, Tara, Christy, Tyson, Jessica, Josh, Helaina, Austin, Ashley, Randa, Ryon, Riley, Morgan, Matthew and 11 great-grandchildren and a number of family and friends.

Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Clifton. Burial will be in the Clifton Memorial Park, and Clifton Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The family would like to issue a special thanks to Dr. Richard Spitzer and Dr. Kevin Blanton, and to nurse Mandy Ringo, and to the Staff of the Clifton Care Center who have provided excellent medical and daily care to Dorothy.