Dorothy Marie (Vess) Desper Peters of Staunton passed away peacefully at the Shenandoah Hospice House on Thursday, April 29, 2021 following a brief unexpected illness. As recently as Easter Sunday, she had lived actively and independently, usually much more concerned about others instead of herself.

Her illness was not COVID-related, although she bravely took both shots and would encourage others to do the same. It was simply a case of having a nice chat one day with the man upstairs and deciding that she had enjoyed such a wonderful fulfilling life down here and it was time for her to help him out elsewhere. She spent the last few days of her life expressing how prepared she was to meet him.

"Miss Dot", as she was known to many, was born in Rockbridge County on March 1, 1924, a daughter of the late Elmer S. "Doc" Vess and Irene Burke Vess. She was a graduate of Goshen High School, but spent most of her adult life in the Jollivue and Staunton areas. She was an adventurous soul and was proud to tell stories of her trips to California, the most recent of which occurred at age 90.

Upon her retirement from F W Woolworth in the early 1990s, she devoted her free time to a variety of services such as Meals on Wheels and was also active in the Third Presbyterian Church of Staunton, which she joined in the early 1950s and was their oldest living member. She served as a Sunday school teacher, an Elder, and more recently was known as the "Sherbet Lady" at the church's annual Salad Lunch fundraiser. She quite likely would have been back at that same job at their next event! She was also active in the Staunton Senior Center and eagerly waited for them to resume activities.

Dot was preceded in death by her first husband, Sherwood Desper, in 1981; her second husband, Paul Peters in 2008, a brother, Elmer Vess, Jr., her son, J. Stuart Desper Sr.; and a grandson, Casey Edward Desper.

She is survived by two sons, David Desper and partner, Tim Carrier, and Wayne Desper and wife Peggy; a daughter-in-law, Jeannette Desper Sims and husband, Sonny; three step-children, James Peters, Jr., Betty Kennedy, and Peggy Dill; a brother, Donald Lee Vess and his wife, Pat; three sisters-in-law, Mary Alice Meharg, Lucy Pederson, and Doris Kelso; three grandchildren, Joseph S. Desper, Jr. and wife, Amanda, Tammy Lynn Desper, and Sabrina Whitney Desper; five great-grandchildren, Jordan, Jonathan, Allison, Andrew, and Leyla and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 4, 2021 in Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory.

A celebration of life service will be held 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 5, 2021 in the Third Presbyterian Church of Staunton by Pastor Jacob Singleton.

Burial will follow in Augusta Memorial Park.

(Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic all current guidelines and restrictions will be followed.)

Memorial donations can be sent to the Women of the Church at Third Presbyterian Church, 1313 Barterbrook Road, Staunton, Virginia 24401; or she was especially fond of supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 or the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Attn: Office of Development, 2900 N. Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, Florida 33607.

Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory, 230 Frontier Drive, Staunton is in charge of her arrangements.