Obituary: Dorothy Carol “Dot” Bizzell Kennedy
Seven Springs-Dorothy Carol “Dot” Bizzell Kennedy,81, stepped into eternity and was greeted by her Lord and the loved ones who had finished their course on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Dot was born in Wayne County to the late Malcolm and Effie Smith Bizzell on August 29, 1941. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Larry Price; and her husband of 57 years, Milton Carroll Kennedy.
Dot and Milton maintained a relationship of love and support through good times and bad. From the first time they met on a blind date in the early 1960’s until his death in 2021, the two walked hand-in-hand together, facing life head-on with a determined faith and strong will. No matter the situation, they showed their love for each other and their family every minute of every day.
One of the many ways Dot shared her love was through cooking. Employed with the Lenoir County school system for 30 years as a cafeteria manager, this food preparation barely scratched the surface of the many mouths she fed and lives she touched through her culinary gifts. Church functions were graced with delicacies from her kitchen, a home-cooked supper was on the table at home every night, and friends and neighbors were often recipients of her generosity without need for a special occasion. A family affair of cooking occurred every Christmas season as pounds and pounds of fudge, seafoam candy, fruit cake cookies, and many other goodies were made to share with countless people.
Hard working and strong willed, Dot ran a tight ship around the home. Her children were taught to respect everyone, maintain good sportsmanship, and to give your all to everything you do. If a task was taken on, Dot taught that you carried it through to the end. She made sure that her children were raised in a Christian home and attended Sunday School and Church every week. Setting the example of Christian service, Dot served as a Sunday School teacher as her children grew. Expectations were clear and opinions were offered generously, but the love that accompanied her words was far more bountiful. Friends of her children were offered the same generosity as she treated every child that entered her home as one of her own.
Constantly involved in the lives of her children and grandchildren, Dot spent many hours on the ball field and transporting children to dance, church, and various other activities. Wanting to be present for every event, she allocated time in her schedule to never miss a moment of their lives if possible. Passing on her skill for cooking to her granddaughter, Sarah, and her abilities as a seamstress to her granddaughter, Suzanne, Sarah and Suzanne have taken her gifts and applied them as professions.
Expectations for beautiful flowers, a full garden, and chickens in the yard were renewed every Spring. Vegetables were utilized daily in meals she prepared, and flowers were arranged perfectly for church or the home. Decorating the church for every season was a specialty started by her son, Larry, and continued by Dot.
Fond of music, shopping, Old Westerns, and volunteering with Lenoir Memorial Hospital, Dot filled her free time with hobbies she enjoyed. She could likely recite every episode of Gunsmoke from memory, and anything on the Hallmark and Inspiration Channels was worth watching. Though she deeply loved these pastimes, they paled in comparison for her love of Dr. Pepper, Cheetos, and ice cream.
There were many things about Dot on which you could count. She would never leave home without her hair fixed and lipstick on; she held a deep pride for the country in which we live; she loved the churches in which she worshiped and the people that made up the congregations; and there was nothing that compared to the joy of family.
A service of love and remembrance will be held at Rouse Funeral Home on Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Bob Smith officiating. Committal will follow at Daly’s Chapel Church Cemetery, Seven Springs.
Dot is survived by her children, Malcolm “Mike” Kennedy (Kelly), Debbie Anderson (Jeff), and Angela Kennedy-Wolfe (Kerry); grandchildren, Sarah Casey, Suzanne Janes, Braelyn Daniels (Travis), and Garris Wade; brothers-in-law, Ashley Kennedy and Haywood Kennedy (Mary); sister-in-law, Lela Kennedy; special friend, Becky Croom; beloved dogs, Coby and Sweetpea; and a granddog, Lola.
The family will receive friends for a time of visitation on Saturday, November 12, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Rouse Funeral Home.
The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the team at Community Home Care and Hospice, especially Jayne Knowles for her care of Dot in her last days.
Online condolences may be expressed at www.rousefh.com. Flowers are welcome, or memorial contributions may be given in Dot’s memory to White Oak Grove Original Free Will Baptist Church, c/o Janet Brown, 1794 Jenny Lind Road, La Grange, NC 28551. Arrangements are entrusted to Rouse Funeral Home, La Grange.
