Obituary of Dorothy Erlene French

Dorothy Erlene Kearce-French was born on November 27, 1937 in Warwick, Georgia. She was the eldest of four daughters born to the late James Kearce and Mattie Bell Dixon-Kearce. Dorothy confessed Christ at an early age and united with the New Hope Baptist Church in Warwick, Georgia. She moved to Detroit in 1955 and fellowshipped with several churches before finally becoming a member of Liberty Temple Baptist Church in June of 1993. Dorothy received her early education in the Georgia, Florida and Michigan public school systems and graduated from Sidney D. Miller High School in Detroit, Michigan on June 22, 1956. She later received an Associate of Science Degree in Nursing from Wayne County Community College, Detroit, Michigan and a Bachelors Degree in Allied Health from Sienna Height University in Adrian, Michigan. Dorothy was united in Holy Matrimony to William Morris French on June 20, 1957 and to this union four daughters were born. Dorothy was employed at Harper Hospital from December 1966 until December 1969 and then at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan from December 1969 until she became disabled in February 1992. Dorothy held numerous positions at Blue Cross. When she retired, she was a supervisor in the Facility Utilization Review and Quality Assurance Department. Her hobbies were genealogy, fishing, picture mating, crocheting and quilting. Dorothy was also a volunteer for the Reach for Recovery, Relay for Life and Making Strides against Breast Cancer Programs for the American Cancer Society. On July 8, 2020, at Sinai Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, God, in his divine wisdom, called Dorothy to her eternal rest. She was preceded in death by siblings Zelmus Lee Harris, Clarence Thomas Harris, Janie Mae Johnson and Elzie Charles Ellis. Dorothy leaves to cherish her loving memory: four daughters, Gwendolyn French-Purvis (Detroit, Michigan), Jacqueline French Yabuku (Fayetteville, Georgia), LaVerne French Curry and Arnita Denise Wright (Detroit, Michigan); two sons-in-law, Richard L. Curry and Dwain Wright; five sisters, Juanita Kendricks (Albany, Georgia), Bernice Kearce (Jacksonville, Florida), Ruby Jewel Lockhart (Vero Beach, Florida), Bertha Lucille Tillman (Trenton, New Jersey) and Linda Caldwell (Vienna, Georgia); one brother, Chattam Ellis, Jr. (Vienna, Georgia); two brothers-in-law, Reverend Willie Lockhart and Willie James Caldwell; one sister-in-law, Virginia Ellis; seven grandchildren, Tynisha (Aaron), Ronnell (Ty), LaKisha, Khalfani II, Afiya (Liz), Andrew and Matthew; eight great-grandchildren, Derrick II, Ronnell, Jr., Steven, Dominic, Raechyll, Sydney, Amarii and Toni Marie; a very close and dear friend of almost 40 years, Mr. Charles Murphy; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.