Dimple Jo DePrato Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Dimple Jo DePrato (nee Warthan) was born on October 20, 1925 in Annona, TX to Maude Ella and Marvin Bascom Warthan. She was the youngest of eight siblings, each with a name more unique than the last. A child of the Great Depression, Dimple was thrifty and tough by nature. Growing up poor and losing her father before age two, she learned early that the world could be cruel, but more importantly, that tough times offered the opportunity to be kind to one another. A few weeks before she passed away, she told her grandchildren a story about picking bags and bags of cotton as a child to earn enough money to buy herself a bicycle. When she finally had enough to make the purchase, she rode it only once before it was destroyed by a car as it sat in the road in front of her house. She was understandably distraught until a few of the tenants who were renting rooms from her mother pooled their money and bought her a new bike. As she told this story, though more than 80 years had passed since it transpired, she was moved to tears by their generosity. She lived her life with a goal of showing those around her that kind of love and kindness, a goal that was rooted in her strong Christian faith. Dimple, also affectionately known as Dimp, loved her faith. She told everyone she met about the redeeming power of Christ and never missed an opportunity to witness, whether it was to a friend or to the cashier at 7-11. She believed what she told them with every fiber of her being. That is why, as she grew older and suffered the loss of many of her loved ones, she eagerly looked forward to the day she would be reunited with them in Heaven. That day came May 18, 2022, when she died peacefully at age 96. Dimple Jo was in many ways a living contradiction. Gentle, but outspoken. Traditional, but progressive. She was also whip smart (so smart that she was the Valedictorian of her high school class). She was a proud Southern Baptist Democrat who cancelled out every one of her husband’s Republican votes over the course of their 62-year marriage. And speaking of her husband, boy did she love that man and he her. She met James Marcus DePrato in 1950 and they were married within a year. But first she laid down the law saying that she would not marry him until he gave up his vices and stopped smoking and drinking. He never touched another cigarette or drank another beer in his life. As he told it, it was the easiest choice he ever made. Together they raised two daughters, Lisa and Jill, both of whom grew up to be strong, beautiful, independent women like their mother. Lisa, who passed away in 2019 after an extended battle with breast cancer, was a true renaissance woman, a lawyer dancer psychologist poet, who saw the world through a unique and beautiful lens. A breast cancer survivor herself, Dimple stayed by her side through every step of her cancer journey and gracefully did that most difficult and unnatural thing when she laid Lisa to rest. Jill, also like Dimple, is a tour de force of a human being, who in between obtaining two Masters’ degrees while attempting to save democracy, brought Dimple her three grandchildren, Lizzie, Jimmy, and Johnny. Dimple doted on those grandchildren until the day she died and their beloved Grannykins never missed an opportunity to tell them how proud they all made her. Everyone who met Dimple loved her, her beautiful smile, and the special, lifelong friendships that she worked so hard to maintain. She will be remembered as a loving mother and wife, a caring Aunt, and a special friend, who always put her faith and family first. But, she was much more than that and will be remembered for so many other things - passionate, funny, opinionated, and brutally honest when she didn’t like your outfit or new haircut. Although topping out at 5’2” and 100 lbs soaking wet, she could command a room and was someone you felt lucky to have on your side when times were hard. William Shakespeare may have said it best, “though she is but little, she is fierce,” and the world is a little less bright without her in it. She is preceded in death by her husband James and daughter Lisa, all of her dear brothers and sisters, and so many special friends. She is survived by her daughter Jill and husband Jim, and their three children Lizzie and husband Chris McElrath, Johnny and Leighann, and Jimmy, her son-in-law Ray and his sister Rita, her beloved nieces and nephews and their beautiful families, and countless friends from First Baptist Church of Richardson and so many others she met along the way. Rest in Peace Grannykins, we love you. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday May 28, 2022 at Restland Funeral Home in the Wildwood Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family would love for you to honor Dimple’s memory by making a donation to UT Southwestern Medical Center in support of breast cancer research. https://engage.utsouthwestern.edu/donate-now. Please Click on the Link Below to Live Stream Services Celebrating the Love, Life, and Legacy of Dimple Jo Deprato: http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/74112/hash:5C0AD57096301FCE

Dimple Jo DePrato

October 20, 1925 - May 18, 2022