Doris Geraldine Cartwright, 90, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by family on March 25, 2020. Born March 8, 1930 in Davis, Oklahoma, she was the third child of four. She was preceded in death by her father Sy Harmon, mother Clara (nee: Harrison) and her three brothers Bill, Ralph and Mitchell Harmon.
When she was age 7, her family moved to Arizona and she spent her childhood years in Valley Farms. One day, shortly before graduating with honors from Florence High School, she met the love of her life, Henry “Hank” Cartwright at the roller skating rink in Coolidge. Falling in love at first sight, they were married in 1950 and spent the next 70 years residing in Pinal County. Most of those years were spent in the copper mining towns of Ray, Superior and Kearny, but when her husband retired they relocated to Apache Junction where she spent the rest of her life. Her husband and daughter still reside there.
Doris was a soft, kind and gentle soul. She never had harsh words or expressed anger to others. To the contrary, she loved everyone she got to know. If a stranger said, “Good morning!” it was not unusual for her to respond with a bright smile, “Thank you! You just made it nicer!” She loved playing games, working puzzles, cooking, sewing, gardening, reading, painting, decorating to name but a few. She could do anything she set her mind to from reupholstering the inside of a car to building a house. Her biggest joy, however, was to be surrounded by friends and family. She showered them with love, affection, laughter and enough food and beverage to serve ten times that many. She loved every minute of it! During lean times, Doris knew how to stretch a dollar. She could make ends meet regardless of the situation and always provided a comfortable home for her family.
She is survived by her husband, Henry; son, Michael (wife Donna); daughter, Marcia; two grandsons, Michael and Steven; and five great-grandchildren, Meghan, Christian, Shannon, Nathan and Karah.
Doris will be missed by all. The family would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful people whose thoughts and prayers help us during this difficult time. We are not holding a funeral service. Instead, we plan to hold a celebration of this remarkable woman’s life at a later date.