Dorothy L Himes

Dorothy (Dee) Lois (Hostetter) Himes passed away on March 2, 2023 in Columbus from complications from a stroke.

She was born on October 30, 1926, to Howard and Blanche Hostetter. She was born on the family farm in Bainbridge, Indiana, the 3rd of 3 children. The attending physician didn’t believe much in government paperwork and saw no reason to prepare a birth certificate. Her birth was not officially recorded until 35 years later when she needed one to obtain her first passport. Fortunately, her mother was alive to testify to her birth.

She grew up with her sister Eleanor Herr and brother David (Sam) Hostetter in the same county as her parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.

She received a  BA degree from Indiana University in home economics and then completed an internship at the University of Michigan Hospital in dietetics. She worked as a registered dietician in many hospitals and clinics over the course of her working career, taking time off for children.

She married Frank Himes in 1951. They lived in Indiana and Tennessee before settling in Upper Arlington, Ohio, in 1957 when Frank joined The Ohio State University faculty.  After retirement, they eventually moved into the Wesley Glen retirement home where she lived until passing.  

Her passions included traveling, languages, reading, bridge and the church. Dee was a skilled bridge player and belonged to many bridge groups over the course of her life, forming long friendships with the other members. She also was a very active member of her church community, was an elder in the church and a member of Stephen Ministries. She was a longtime member of the International Wives club and enjoyed the connections that she made with foreign visitors to OSU.

Dee and Frank took two sabbatical trips where they lived in England. They did extensive traveling around the world, including 43 countries and most of the states in the USA, and enjoyed revisiting the experience by looking at the photos of their trips. She made an effort to learn a few words in the language of their destination. They visited Russia three times, spending a month 400 miles east of Moscow and another trip of 3 weeks in the Ukraine, both where Frank was consulting with local farmers. They found the people to be wonderful and they continued to reflect upon those trips.  One of her favorite travel memories was a Sunday afternoon in 1966. The family was in Windsor, England, and stopped to watch a polo match on the grounds. The Queen and some of the children were nearby watching Prince Phillip play, it was a time when the Queen lived without all the cameras.   

They also had a productive garden and Dee used the fresh produce for freezing, canning and fresh, nutritious meals.

One of her special talents was the recitation of Prinderella and the Cince, something she learned in college and shared to the delight of audiences until her death.

She is predeceased by her husband Frank and leaves behind her children Laura (John) Perone of Galena, Ohio, Caroline Himes of Boulder, Colorado, and Glenn (Anne) Himes of Ruckersville, Virginia, and grandchildren Sam and Elizabeth.

A memorial service will be held on March 29 at Trinity United Methodist Church, at 11 am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mid-Ohio Food Bank, WOSU, or the charity of your choice.