On January 18, 2018, shortly after 8 p.m., Dorothy Ann (née Sottong) Laird, entered the transforming mystery of death into Life, at Montereau-in-Warren Wood, where Dorothy lived since 2011.

The elder of two children, Dorothy was born May 16, 1930, in Lamar, CO, to John Sottong and Mame (née Lindsay) Sottong. The family soon moved to Tulsa during the Great Depression, where the possibility of gainful employment was more promising. Dorothy grew up in Tulsa and was educated at Holy Family School, St. Mary's College, Leavensworth, KS, and the University of Tulsa.

Though born in Colorado, Dorothy's return to Oklahoma, in early childhood was very much a homecoming for her. She remained deeply aware and proud of her family's ancestral seat (still Indian Territory 1871), roughly an hour south, of Oklahoma City near Erin Springs.

Dorothy's maternal grandparents, Lewis and Anita Lindsay, had a large very home, which over time came to be known as the Lindsay Mansion. The Lindsay homestead flourished, not only as a productive farm but also donated in 1902, 440 acres of its farmland towards the building of a new town, which assumed the name of its chief patrons, Lindsay, OK.

During these many years of service to both society and church, the Lindsay homestead continued to bring prosperity to the region. In 1945, Cities Service Oil Company brought in the first oil well to the vicinity, touching off a drilling campaign known as the Golden Trend of Lindsay. Moreover, The Lindsay Mansion served as the local "house church" for Roman Catholics, who travelled there each Sunday from far and wide to attend Sunday Mass. In acknowledgment of the Lindsay family's service to the fullness of the Church at the local level, Dorothy's grandmother, Anita Lindsay, received from Pope Pius X the Cross Pro Ecclessia et Pontefice in 1955.

But these aspects of the history central Oklahoma history meant nothing at the time to the young Dorothy Ann. Spending summer's length of days at her ancestral seat, Dorothy Ann's world was one of play, exploration, girlishness, and the art of wringing the neck of a chicken and then running for dear life, not knowing that dead chickens could still run!

With her late husband, Robert O. Laird (2011), Dorothy considered their first and foremost vocation in live was to raise a family, the raising, feeding, and otherwise corralling 5 very active and independently minded children. Nevertheless, she also devoted much time and energy to the civic well-being of Tulsa. A part from being a model at various gala affairs at Tulsa (she got to bring home what she modelled), she volunteered for many years at the Tulsa Psychiatric Center, Philbrook Museum, The Tulsa Garden Center, where her volunteer work included everything from running very many of Tulsa's Annual Garden Tour to playing an instrumental role in providing a scholarship (full ride) to one horticultural student per annum at Oklahoma State University. Among all these, and more, she devoted most time to The Tulsa Garden Center.

Known to (very) many as an outstanding cook, she spent several years as Manager of the Executive Dining Room at the First National Bank of Tulsa. She got along well (mostly) with the Italian Chef Piccone. There were only a few eruptions a week. A major one had to do with her having telling the famous chef that there are a couple of tricks to making hollandaise sauce (to her standard) for 25 that are not needed for the same sauce prepared for 6-8). Pots and pans were hurled around the kitchen. She calmly said that after he picked up the pots and washed them, he could move on to the hollandaise sauce. They grew to have a warm and mutually respectful relationship that enduredeven after she fired him.

She volunteered for many years at Christ the King Parish in a number of capacities: preparing receptions after funerals; meals on wheels; as well as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

At the same time, she was a member of the sacristan team of the St Rita Guild that served St. Rita Chapel, Cascia Hall Preparatory School. Apart from keeping sacramental wine and candles in steady supply, she assumed a good deal of the ironing of altar linens. There were others who could have done it, but, as she said, "These young ladies don't even know how to iron!"

Dorothy is survived by her five children, Robert O'Neill Laird II and his wife, Patty Laird; Cece Gifford and her husband, Jim Gifford; Lindsay Reeds and her husband, Theodore Reeds II, Rev. Martin Laird, O.S.A., and Scott Laird. Too numerous to list are her 9 grandchildren, 5 greatgrandchildren, 1 niece and 4 nephews.

On Friday, a public viewing (not a wake service) is from 1-3 and then again from 6-8 at Fitzgerald's, Southwood Chapel, 91 and Harvard. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated, Saturday, 11 a.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church, 1520 South Rockford Road, Tulsa, OK 74120, followed by a light luncheon

The Laird family would like to express its profoundest thank to the professionalism and humanity of Montereau, especially to Dorothy's normal round of caregivers: Diane Zdanowski, Angela DeWalt, and Kathy Cole. As a couple of Dorothy's daughters said, "Monterau is one big hug." It is indeed that and much more.

In lieu of flowers the Laird family requests donations (tax deductible) to The Lindsay Community Historical Society (please add a note, "In honor of Dorothy Laird"). Mailing address: Lindsay Community Historical Society, P.O. Box 282, Lindsay, OK 73052