Hay Floanna Mae H. Dozer

Floanna “Flo” Mae H Dozer Hay, 93 went to her eternal home February 18, 2018. She was born January 25, 1925 in Schoolcraft, Michigan, to Barbara and Ralph Huddlestun of Three Rivers, Michigan. Her first husband, Richard V Dozer, her son-in-law, Kent Cerrone and her granddaughter, Laura Grace Dozer, have preceded her in death. Her loving husband, Don M. Hay and her two children, Lynne Dozer Cerrone, Richard Huddlestun Dozer and his wife Karie Dozer and two grandchildren, Danielle Alexis Dozer and Jack Huddlestun Dozer, survive her. Flo grew up in Three Rivers, Michigan, where her father owned the Huddlestun Lumber Company. The only child of Ralph and Barbara, she graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1947 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a minor in music performance, playing harp, organ, and french horn. While corresponding with a pen pal during WWII, she met Richard V. Dozer (Dick), an infantry soldier and aspiring journalist. They met and married in Three Rivers after the war, and moved to Sioux Falls, SD. There, daughter Lynne was born. They soon moved to a Chicago suburb, Elmwood Park, where Dick was the lead baseball writer for the Chicago Tribune covering the Cubs and White Sox. Their second child, Rich was born in 1957, and Flo’s children attended grade school and high school in suburban Chicago. The couple retired to Arizona in 1982. Flo was an avid tennis player and even traveled to England and attended the Wimbledon tournament. She and Dick enjoyed life here in the Valley until Dick died in Phoenix in 1994. Flo met and married Don Hay in 1995. Don is a professional homebuilder and all-around wonderful man who built a new family life for himself and Flo in Phoenix, as well as a physical home on a lake in Lawrenceburg Indiana, near her daughter Lynne. By having these two homes, Flo and Don have lived every year of their marriage in both Indiana near daughter Lynne, and in Phoenix near Rich and his family. Flo truly valued this quality family time, and often reflected that she was always close to home, whether she was in the Midwest or the Southwest. Flo will be remembered by her many friends for her devotion to her family and community. Her highest priorities were to be a Godly and extraordinary mother, and wife and a servant to others. She accomplished these goals and today, God is surely saying to Flo,” well done good and faithful servant.” Flo valued her studies of the Bible, and many of her values are reflected in Proverbs 31, which preach the importance of “speak(ing) up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Proverbs 31 goes on to describe a “wife of noble character”. Like this biblical wife, Flo opened “her arms to the poor and extend(ed) her hands to the needy….” and was a “woman who fears the Lord (and) is to be praised.” In celebrating her life, her family wishes to “Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” Flo never knew a stranger, and often opened up her home to new friends from faraway places, many times hosting people she had only just met at a church service or missionary gathering. She never turned anyone away from a warm bed or a home-cooked meal, especially if her guests were serving their communities or churches. She did not believe in extending loans, she instead always gave freely and without an IOU. In all of her actions, she demonstrated her beliefs that all of us are God’s children, equal in his sight, despite our race, status, nationality or living status. Flo was rarely at a loss for words, and was often known for engaging everyone with sweet, lively conversation.

In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Laura Dozer Center, UCP, 1802 W. Parkside Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85027, named for Flo’s granddaughter Laura Grace, serving special needs children and their families here in Phoenix, or to Rainbow Acres, 2120 W. Reservation Loop Road, Camp Verde, AZ 86322. Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 22nd, from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Road in Phoenix. Funeral Service will be held on Friday, February 23rd, at 10:00 A.M., preceded by a 9:00 A.M. Visitation at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home.