Dorothy J. Lee, age 92, of Rapid City, died on Thursday, June 11, 2015, at Fountain Springs Healthcare.
The funeral service was held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home with the Rev. Jacqui Hatzell officiating.
Visitation was one hour prior to the service. Private burial will be in Hawkeye Cemetery, in Hawkeye, Iowa. A memorial has been established.
Born May 2nd, 1923, in Hawkeye, Iowa to Otho J. and Adda (Peterson) Lee, Dorothy grew up in the Hawkeye and West Union, Iowa area and graduated from West Union High School. She was also a graduate of Christian College in Columbia, Missouri; she also attended Missouri University majoring in vocation home economics. She attended Civil Aeronautics Administration School in 1943 and worked for Civil Aeronautics/Federal Aviation Administration until her retirement in May of 1985. During this time she was an air traffic control specialist in Kansas City, Missouri, Knoxville, Tennessee, Hayes Center, Nebraska, Denver, Colorado and in Pierre and Rapid City, South Dakota; retiring as area supervisor at the Rapid City Flight Service Station. Dorothy also flew in the 1959 Womens Transcontinental AirRace (Powder Puff Derby) and was active in establishing 99 chapters of International Womens Pilot Organizations in South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming. She was inducted into the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame. She belonged to South Dakota and International Flying Farmers, Local and National Aircraft Owners Pilot Organization, Airway Pioneers, Women Controllers Association and Black Hills Coin Club. She was also a counselor for the South Dakota Federal Women's Program. After retiring she built and managed a mobile home court in Johnson Siding, South Dakota, where she lived until 2012.
Survivors include her sister, Annabelle (Richard) Fera; 2 nieces, Vicki Fera and Judi (Tom) Musgrove; 1 nephew, Richard Fera and family friend, Jacqui Hatzell.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Cora Morf and good friend of many years, Lois Saxton.
Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Hawkeye is assisting Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home in Rapid City. Online condolences may be left at www.osheimschmidt.com or www.beckermilnesrettig.com.
