Brenda Ollis Dotson

Brenda Ollis Dotson went home to be with the Lord on Friday, February 24th, 2017, after a long, hard-fought battle with heart disease. She was born and raised in Asheville, NC and moved to Fairview in 1969, when she married her high school sweetheart and soulmate, Carroll Dotson. Brenda and Carroll enjoyed 47 wonderful years of marriage, providing friends and family with an inspiring example of unconditional love and commitment. Though many people knew and loved her, no one will miss her as much as Carroll because they were truly one flesh; she was his heart and he was hers. Brenda also leaves behind another piece of her heart in their daughter, Cindy Dotson Green. Cindy and her husband, Greg, also of Fairview, loved Brenda dearly and were blessed to be the recipients of some of the most profound examples of her generosity and sacrificial love. She gladly and willingly put their needs and desires above her own and would have given them the very shirt off of her back, if they needed it. They will miss her more than either of them could possibly express and they hope she knew how much they loved her and appreciated everything she did for them. As deep as her love was as a mother, however, nothing could compare with that she felt and expressed as a grandmother. Derek, Jared, and Neleah Green were her three greatest treasures and a tremendous source of pride and joy in her life. "Mam" was at their beck and call and the three of them could do no wrong, in her eyes. When they were all little, they each thought she was their size and insisted that she join them in climbing the jungle gyms, sliding down the slides, and riding the child-sized bikes. She gladly did the best she could to accommodate whatever silly directions they gave her, laughing the whole time. She loved them as only the most wonderful of grandmothers love their grandchildren – with an unreserved and utter abandon. They will never have another fan as adoring, another supporter as dedicated, or another friend as loyal as she. Not only was Brenda a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, she was also a devoted sister. Brenda's sister, Carolyn Ollis Blankenship, and her husband, Arthur, who also live in Fairview, were not only family, but Brenda and Carroll's best friends. They spent not only holidays together, but many average nights too, doing things like cooking out, playing cards, or just watching TV and talking. Brenda and Carolyn also talked on the phone five or six times a day, every day. Typical of sisters, their conversations were sometimes contentious but most of the time they just kept up with the familiarly small details of each other's lives, as well as those of their children and grandchildren. And, no matter how aggravated they got with each other, their calls would still end with each of them saying "I love you." Brenda was also a beloved aunt. Carolyn's daughters, Tammy Blankenship Arrowood and Christy Blankenship Sales, called her "Bimmie," which was shortened to "Bims" by Tammy's daughters, Sarah Arrowood Reese and Averi Arrowood. Bims loved her nieces just as much as if they were her own daughters and granddaughters. Also missing her love and friendship will be Brenda's brother, Charlie Ollis, her aunt, Mae Woody, and various other cousins, nieces, nephews, and special friends. She was also loved by many who preceded her in death: her mother, Lorine Stroupe Burnette, her father, Albert Calvin Ollis, her sister, Wanda Ollis Malin, her brother, Bo Ollis, her uncle, David Stroupe, her aunt, Pauline Blankenship, her grandparents, and various other relatives and friends. Brenda's kind and generous spirit was evident to all who knew her. It was also reflected in the amount of time she spent volunteering at Mission Hospitals, where she achieved status as a lifetime volunteer. She enjoyed serving others, spreading love and a peaceful understanding to those in difficult circumstances. She considered it a tremendous honor and blessing that she was asked to serve for one year as President of the North Carolina Hospital Volunteer Association, an organization that she undoubtedly would have continued to be a part of for many years, had her health not kept her from it. Brenda also enjoyed spending time with her chapter of the Red Hat Society, the Fairview Follies, of which she was a founding member and their "Queen Bee." It was with this group that her wonderful sense of humor shined the brightest. From her ornately decorated plunger "scepter" to her large red hat decorated with a sparkling tiara, she donned whatever flamboyant regalia she deemed appropriate for the type of activity in which they were engaging. And whether she was leading the ladies in a resounding chorus of "Hip! Hip! Hooray!" in the middle of a restaurant or driving them around and around a traffic circle in the middle of town, they were going to squeeze as much fun as they could into their time together, if she had anything to do with it. Brenda embraced life to its fullest. She loved to laugh –especially at herself – and delighted in sharing her "funnies" (little tales, usually about herself, Carroll, or her exploits with her Red Hat friends) with whoever she thought needed some comic relief. She was a self-described "hugger" and doled them out liberally, even to a few seemingly unwilling participants, aka "fuddy-duddies." She didn't go to church every Sunday, nor was she overly versed in biblical doctrines, but she absolutely lived her faith. The love of Jesus, both what He has for her – and all of us – and what she has for Him, was evident in the way she treated others. Her life was an inspiration that deserves to be remembered for a long, long time. Brenda's family will be officially celebrating her memory at 6:00pm on Saturday, March 4th, 2017 at Trinity of Fairview, located at 276 Concord Road in Fairview, NC. The family will continue to receive friends after the service. Flowers are appreciated, but for those who choose, memorial donation's may be made in Brenda's name to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org). Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting the family.