Dorothy Bost Tippit's Obituary
Dorothy Lee (Bost) Tippit departed this life on December 7 in Tyler, Texas. She was born on November 8, 1921 in Cuba, Missouri, the only child of James Raney and Fern Melrose Bost. Her family moved to Dallas when she was an infant, and she spent her childhood and most of her adult life in the Highland Park and Casa View areas.
As a young girl, she often helped her father in various grocery stores he managed in Highland Park. She recalled from time to time that during the Depression years her father often brought home grocery items such as out-of-date canned goods or produce that was too ripe to sell. In the late 1940s her father became a co-founder of the Tom Thumb chain of grocery stores in Dallas.
As a young child, she began classical piano training, a love that continued through high school. She attended Highland Park High School, where she excelled in chemistry and biology. Upon graduation in 1939, she received the prestigious Everts Award for outstanding scholarly achievement. Extra-curricular activities included: chemistry and biology clubs, and basketball.
After graduation she attended North Texas State Teachers College (now UNT). Aspiring to become a nurse, she took courses in chemistry and biology; however, marriage, two children, and World War II closed that window on her. The dream never faded though, and later in life she spent many memorable years as a volunteer in Scottish Rite and Parkland Hospitals.
She raised two boys and, in spite of having to work, sometimes two jobs just to make ends meet, they always saw in her the role model for what a single mother ought to be.
At age 60, she became interested in stained glass, and the hobby quickly developed into a flourishing business. Her stained glass caricature of Tom Thumb won a first place award at the Texas State Fair, and for almost 30 years she created many artistic and truly magnificent works of stained and beveled glass. She crafted large format, stained glass replicas of a Dallas police officer's badge and sold scores of these to active and retired police officers, each badge personalized with the officer's rank and badge number. Proceeds from the sale of these badges were donated to fund the planned memorial to the Dallas police officers who died in the line of duty.
She was a member of the Highland Park Methodist Church and the Order of the Eastern Star.
Preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, retired Dallas police officer Gayle M. Tippit, she leaves behind four children: Jim Tiller and wife Nancy of New Braunfels, Wayne Tiller and wife LaVella of Tyler, Jeannie Coleman and husband Royce of Flower Mound, and Jerry Tippit and wife Shirley of Quinlan; five grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will commence at 10AM on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, in the Wildwood Chapel at Restland Memorial Park. Entombment in the Chapel Gardens Mausoleum at Restland Memorial Park will follow. Family will receive friends one hour prior to the funeral at Wildwood Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Dorothy's name should be directed to the Scottish Rite Hospital (http://community.tsrhc.org/donate), Dallas.
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