Dorothy Saran passed away on June 28, 2012, with her family by her side. She was the matriarch of our family and will be dearly missed.
She was born in Seattle on Nov. 1, 1921, to Barney and Bertha Konick, Russian immigrants. She was raised on Queen Anne Hill, along with her younger brother Willis. She grew up during the Depression but because her father owned a grocery store her family didn’t suffer as others did.
She was raised in an intellectual household, always dedicated to liberal causes. Her earliest political cause was collecting money for Spanish Civil War relief in downtown Seattle when she was a teenager.
Dorothy studied music at the University of Washington. Her parents had planned on her being a pianist. That plan changed when she and Marshall Saran met at a dance and soon after he called her to go on a picnic (he assumed correctly that she would prepare the food). By the end of that day they knew they were meant for each other and spent 67 wonderful years together, raising kids, traveling camping, entertaining, and going to jazz festivals.
Son Michael was born while Marshall served in World War II. Craig was one of the first post war baby boomers and Mark was born 3 years later.
She supported our Dad while he was establishing his business. Later, after her sons were old enough, she went to work in a number of executive positions, her favorite being the Registrar of the Religion School at Temple De Hirsch – Sinai. Her life revolved around family, friends and synagogue. She was beautiful, stylish, elegant, a great cook and a wonderful hostess.
Dorothy and Marshall enjoyed taking the family camping at different Washington State Parks almost every weekend during the summer, until they arrived to find all the campsites taken. They decided that it was time to buy a piece of property for a summer home. They purchased a lot with a large trailer on Lake Goodwin and then built an outside bunkhouse and bathhouse for their kids and their friends. The family along with friend spent many years enjoying swimming, waterskiing, boating, and evenings around the campfire. Dorothy loved spending the summers there while Marshall commuted to Seattle. One of her great joys at Lake Goodwin was not having a phone, and she could never be convinced to get one.
Dorothy and Marshall retired early and spent the next 25 years on their five-acre property and home on Whidbey Island. She loved living there, and enjoyed her many friends, music groups and book groups. Their home on Holmes Harbor became a gathering place for friends, relatives, children and grandchildren. Many family events and holiday meals were enjoyed there. Her grandchildren particularly have vivid memories of spending weekends and summer days there going to the beach or rushing downstairs in the morning for granny to fix them their favorite breakfast, her buttermilk pancakes. Dorothy and Marshall returned to Seattle for their last few years. They were both truly part of America’s greatest generation.
Dorothy supported her sons, encouraged them, and insisted they learn and do certain things that they would value, even if they didn’t want to do them at the time. She exposed them to classical music, drama, dance, roller derby, movies, chasing fire engines in a 1958 VW convertible and gave them a feel for where they belonged in the world. She was a great card player and gave no quarter, except perhaps to her grandchildren. She never tolerated any kind of racial slur or joke being uttered in their home. She was a feminist before it was popular and led a women’s support group that has met for almost 40 years.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Marshall. She is survived by her brother Willis Konick(Paul Jezik) sons Michael Saran (Gayle) and their daughter Jennifer Waller (Jason) and their children Griffin and Truman; Craig Saran (Joani), their sons Ian Saran, Kyle Saran, Adam Diskin (Hilary) and their children Hannah and Jolie, Lee Diskin (Lori) and their children Carly, Jack and Eli, and Matt Diskin; Mark Saran and his children Annie Sitzenstock (Chris) their son Noah (Dorothy’s 1st great-grandson), Joshua Saran, Ian Boushey, Joe Mick-Hager (Chasidy) and their children Desiree and Cruz, Carney Fletcher( Dave) and their daughter Ava, foster daughter Marilyn Jorgenson (Marc) and her daughters Jessica (Eric) and Lia, and loving nieces and nephew, particularly Lisa and Lara Konick.
The family would like to thank her caregivers for extending the quality of her life, especially Ian, Josh and Carmen.
Dorothy and Marshall were longtime members of Temple De Hirsch-Sinai and founding members of Temple Beth Am.
A celebration of her life was held at The Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41, Seattle, on Friday, July 13. Donations in Dorothy’s memory may be made to the National Organization for Women, P.O. Box 1848, Merrifield, VA 22116-1848.
