Elaine Mary (Burke) Dotseth Obituary
Elaine Mary Burke was born in Chicago, Illinois on November 29, 1923 to Martha Brickner Burke. She grew up in the Oak Park/Chicago area and went to school there.
Elaine entered the Women’s Army Corps and basic training was at Camp Oglethorpe, Chickamauga, Georgia. She was the first WAC stationed at Vaughan General Hospital near Chicago working as a clerk/typist, which is where she met her knight in shining armor, Joe Dotseth, one of the first patients at the new Army hospital. He had been injured in Italy in WWII. They married in the chapel at Vaughan General Hospital and later moved to Joe’s hometown in Knapp, Wisconsin where she became a farmer’s wife, across the road from Joe’s parents. They had three boys: Gary, Ronnie, and Marc. Because of Joe’s health, they moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1955. Joe joined the Tucson Police Department and Elaine was a housewife. Later she became a partner at Adair Realty. She also worked for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell Co, an accounting firm. Eventually, she took a job at the Tucson Water Department where she retired after many years.
In the later 1960’s and early 1970’s, her three sons joined the US Navy and served in the Viet Nam conflict, and thankfully they all returned safely back home.
Elaine was predeceased by her husband Joe Dotseth in 1986, son Gary Dotseth in 2013, mother Martha Piazza and stepfather Philip Piazza, and sister Terry Matusak. She leaves behind sons Ronald Dotseth (Betty), Wausau, Wisconsin, and Marc Dotseth (Deborah) Dotseth, Tucson, Arizona; grandchildren: Tamara (John) Connolly, Parker, Colorado; Donna (Patrick) Fischer, Marana, AZ; Zachary Dotseth, Tucson AZ; Kari (Chris) Mueller, Oshkosh WI; Amanda Dotseth (Ryan Kovar), Dallas TX; and many great grandchildren.
A memorial service and burial of ashes will be held at 11 AM on March 20, 2023, at Evergreen Memorial Park/Cemetery, where she will rest forever next to her husband.
Many thanks to the staff at Agave Hills, the assisted living facility, for their great care during her final years.
