Doris Mildred “Dottie” Houghtaling was born September 17, 1922 at Fort Casey, Washington to George and Maymie Hammons. Doris was raised in Race Lagoon and attended Smith Prairie High School. Her family moved to Langley, where she attended Langley High School. She was married to Henry “Hank” M. Houghtaling in Greenbank on July 14, 1941. Hank was serving as a soldier with the U.S. Army and was the sergeant-in-Charge at the submarine monitoring station in Greenbank.
Following World War II, Hank left the service, but was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. He and Doris were stationed at Fort Lewis, Fort Warden, Squamish, Poulsbo, WA, Utah and Germany before returning to the states. Hank’s final duty station was as Provost Marshall at the Ammunitions Depot, Hermiston, OR. He retired in 1964 and they returned to Whidbey Island and settled in Oak Harbor to Mariners Cove.
Doris and Hank bought a Shell service station on Pioneer Way, but eventually built a new station on Midway Boulevard and 900 Ave East. They also purchased Midway Tire and Muffler across from the Shell station. Selling their business interests, Doris and Hank began commercial fishing and crabbing off Whidbey Island and LaPush. In 2000, Doris and Hank sold their home and moved to Anacortes, WA to be closer to their daughter Sharon.
Dottie was a member of the Order of the Amaranth and the daughters of the Nile, the Oak Harbor Yacht Club and former member of the Whidbey-Deception Pass Boat Club.
Dottie is survived by her daughter-in-law Penny of Oak Harbor, WA, one sister Gladys Hayes Conrad of Mount Vernon, WA, and two grandchildren, Cliff and Denise, six great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. She is proceeded in death by her husband Henry Houghtaling, son Cliff Houghtaling Sr., daughter Sharon Neilson, son-in-law Jim Neilson, and by two sisters and two brothers.
Dottie requested no services be held.