Dorothy Tubbs Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino County, CA Published in the "Big Bear Grizzly" Thursday, May 18, 2006 5:11 PM PDT File uploaded 21 May 2006 This file is part of the California Tombstone Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/california/californ.html Dorothy Tubbs, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to hundreds in the Big Bear Valley, lost her battle to cancer on May 9. She had celebrated her 80th birthday on Feb. 13. Just six weeks earlier, on Dec. 31, due to her illness, Dorothy retired from a 30-year career in Big Bear real estate. That retirement capped a remarkable string of careers that spanned 78 years. Yes, that's correct: Mrs. Tubbs' first employment commenced at age two, when she and her brother Fay, age three, began their first careers as “the world's smallest acrobatics.” Mrs. Tubbs was diagnosed with lung cancer last November, receiving the grim news the day before Thanksgiving. She had not smoked for 34 years, choosing to adopt a healthier lifestyle when she and her husband Jess moved permanently to Big Bear in 1974, when Jess opted for “early retirement” from the Los Angeles Police Dept. Dorothy had recently retired as Personnel Manager of Builder's Emporium hardware stores (the “Home Depots” of their era) where she traveled throughout the state to train cashiers and credit office personnel at new store openings. LaVon Dorothy Alexander was born in St. Paul, Minn. on Feb. 13, 1926, and six months later moved to Seattle. Her always enterprising mother, LaVon, visited the city's dance studio and would observe the training of young dancers, then come home and teach the same steps to Dorothy and Fay. The youngsters soon mastered ballet, toe dancing, tap dancing and acrobatics. With the onset of the Depression, Dorothy's father, Edward, found less demand for his barbering skills, as families would save money by cutting each other's hair. Soon the Alexanders moved to Hollywood for its greater opportunities for the children's careers. Dorothy's dad would book the kids at local vaudeville houses, and then act as a “shill” in the audience, tossing a quarter onto the stage to urge more of the same. The “Alexander Kids'”reputation took hold and soon the kids were represented by a top agent who booked them on the famed Orpheum Theatre Circuit. Dorothy and Fay's bookings at major theatres up and down the Pacific Coast over the next eight years supported the family during much of the Depression years. Dorothy hung up her professional dancing shoes at age 14 as she entered Hollywood's Fairfax High School, but her brother continued with acrobatics and later became a world-renowned trapeze artist with Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. He also starred in the Academy Award-winning movie, The Greatest Show on Earth. Fay passed away on July 16, 2000 at his home in Sarasota, Fla. After graduating high school during World War II, Dorothy moved back to Seattle, where she worked in civil service, assigned to the personnel department for the Navy where she researched incoming officers. But she missed her high school chums and family and soon returned to Hollywood, transferring to the Treasury Department and working in the Federal Building in Downtown Los Angeles. Then the entertainment industry beckoned again. Dorothy began working as Office Manager at Color Reproduction Company, a commercial film production company, with clients that included General Electric. In 1947, Dorothy married Police Officer Jesse Tubbs and in 1951 the couple had their first child, Kris, and in 1952, their second, Joel. In 1957, with the kids in school, Dorothy resumed working, this time at Builders' Emporium, “B.E.,” at the company's flagship store in Van Nuys. Over her career at B.E., she worked as a switchboard operator (on the old-fashioned plug-in circuit board), a “tube-room”operator (the company dispatched messages in tubes throughout the large store, much like drive-up tellers today), cashier, credit department officer, and personnel manager. Dorothy's daughter Kris remembers one exciting night in 1960 when her mother brought home first prize - a television - from B.E.'s annual “Gay '90s” employee contest. “The night before the contest, she sewed up a costume, taking her inspiration from an illustration in a book and working without a pattern. While many of her fellow employees rented expensive Victorian-era gowns and hats, my mom whipped together a simple midi-blouse with sash and bloomers, put a ribbon around a straw hat, and carried her book ‘satchel' with my dad's belt. She was the consummate ‘Gay '90s school girl.' And my brother and I had our own TV for the first time. We were proud of her. We were always proud of her.” The family moved to Thousand Oaks in 1962. Jess was now working as a Homicide Detective at LAPD's Van Nuys division, and over the course of several years, Dorothy and Jess were able to commute to work together. At various times throughout their high school and college years, Dorothy's children, Kris and Joel, also worked at B.E. stores, in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks respectively. Dorothy first visited Big Bear Lake in the 1930s and introduced Jess - an Iowa transplant following his service as an Army Officer during World War II -to the mountaintop community. The four-season resort appealed to them both, and they purchased property in a newly opened development - Moonridge - in 1966 and built a vacation home on the site in 1972. They visited nearly every weekend and enjoyed their time in the mountains so much that they both opted for “early retirement” in 1974, and moved permanently into their Moonridge home. The couple also loved the change of the seasons. Jess became acquainted with the various mountain birds and wildlife and began feeding the squirrels that dropped by the balcony. That changed quickly when the cute critters began tapping incessantly, demanding their daily meals. Soon, Jess and Dorothy discovered that raccoons are adept at flipping off unsecured trash can lids, and that woodpeckers' hole pecking wasn't confined to trees. In other words, they became proficient in mountain living. And Dorothy began walking. She'd walk five miles a day, sun or snow. Her walks familiarized her with all the roads and areas of Big Bear and the various styles of mountain homes. While Jess was content to hang up his badge and spend his time watching football, chopping wood and landscaping, Dorothy wasn't quite ready for retirement. After several months of cooking, baking, sewing, painting, knitting afghan after afghan and entertaining weekend visitors, Dorothy embarked on what would become the longest of her many successful careers: real estate. It was the perfect choice for a person who thrived on social interaction, was adept at finance and possessed a natural curiosity for homes in the community. Dorothy launched her real estate career, working under Donna Mattheis of Mattheis Realty on Knickerbocker Road (the Mattheis's also operated Mattheis Lumber Co.), at which time she obtained her real estate license. Two years later she joined Alpine Realty and shortly thereafter obtained her broker's license. In 1987 she joined Spencer Real Estate, and stayed with her Spencer “family” until her retirement on Dec. 31, 2005. A frequent visitor in recent weeks was fellow Spencer Realtor, Zac Pono, who would stop by the house and chat for two or three hours with Mrs. Tubbs, and drop off DVD's for her viewing pleasure. “I'd need my Dorothy fix,” Pono explained. Dorothy loved her tenure with Spencer, where work was balanced with fun and friendship. Many of her clients became lifelong friends, and her ever-expanding circle of friends in the valley turned to her for real estate matters. “She was just a sweet and kind person,” said her friend Patrick Hobin. She also enjoyed the social activities within the Spencer Real Estate network, including annual holiday parties and cruises through the Caribbean, to Mexico and Catalina for the company's top producers with all expenses paid by the company's owner, Marie Hilliard. She was repeatedly a member of Spencer's annual “multi-million dollar sales” club and enjoyed the yearly awards parties, which always had a theme. One year, when agents were asked to come as their favorite movie character, Dorothy went as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, with long pig tails and blue gingham jumper. She was a member of the California Association of Realtors and was active with the Big Bear Lake Board of Realtors, serving as a director and in 1991, president. Mrs. Tubbs was active with two organizations in the Big Bear Valley. She joined Soroptimist International where she was one of the organizers of the first “Man About Town” fundraiser. She worked on the event for several years and marveled at the increasingly high sums of money the event raised for the community. She also was named a Soroptimist Woman of Distinction in 1992. Dorothy also joined the Order of the Eastern Star (her brother Fay was a Mason) in 1980 and served as the Big Bear Chapter's Worthy Matron in 1983 and 2001. Honoring her professional and philanthropic work, Dorothy was named a distinguished citizen by the San Bernardino Board of Supervisors in 1992. Dorothy's final ten years were defined by a remarkable grace and bravery in the face of adversity. In 1996, Jess suffered a severe blow to the back of his head during a fall down the stairway of the couple's home that was likely a contributing factor to his dementia that ultimately required his transfer to a series of skilled nursing facilities, Alzheimer's homes and assisted-living facilities in Redlands. Mrs. Tubbs rarely missed a week - and only when a severe snowfall made travel impossible - of full-day outings with Jess, taking him to lunch, on long drives, to doctor's appointments and with her shopping and running errands. Jess began calling her “Mommy,” and in his confused state, believed Dorothy to be his mother, rather than his beloved wife. In 1996, while attempting to care for her husband at home, Mrs. Tubbs suffered a stroke, causing the loss of eyesight in one eye. Mrs. Tubbs was also diagnosed in 2001 with leukemia - the disease which claimed her mother at the age of 53. While Dorothy's leukemia was a mild, non-life-threatening form, the presence of the disease must have been frightening. Through it all, she persevered with a steadfast and cheerful dignity, and kept her sense of humor. Dorothy's spirits were always buoyed by her son Joel and his wife Kathy, who lived three blocks away and would visit regularly on Thursday nights in addition to other times. “We weren't visiting just for her benefit,” said Joel. “We got as much from our visits as she did. “I haven't just lost my mom,” he said. “I've lost my best friend.” Mrs. Tubbs is survived by her husband of 58 years, Jesse; her son Joel and daughter-in-law Kathy Tubbs of Big Bear Lake; daughter Kris Grant of Coronado; four grandchildren - Chelsea and Joel Grant, Jack Roberts and his wife, Julie; Brenda Vincent and her husband, Robert; and a great grandson, Jack Roberts. Services, conducted by Big Bear Chapter No. 485, Order of the Eastern Star, will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, May 18 at the Masonic Temple, 385 Summit Blvd., followed by a “Celebration of Life” lunch reception at the same location. Music, featuring jazz standards including Dorothy's favorites, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Mel Torme, will be performed by Catz in Hatz, and we're certain that Dorothy Tubbs would approve of any spontaneous dancing that might erupt. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society or to the Big Bear Valley charity of you choice.