Mary Doris Ollett

May 11, 1920 - July 2, 2020

Mary Doris Ollett passed away in St George, Utah on July 2, 2020 at the age of 100. She was born in Bolingbroke, Georgia on May 11, 1920 to G.B. and Sallie Taylor Hill. She grew up in Cochran, Georgia where her father was a successful lumberman who owned a small flight school. Doris took an interest in flying and graduated as the first woman in the flight school. She had the opportunity to be mentored by Hazel Raines, a pioneer of women pilots in Georgia in the 1930’s. Doris was flying planes solo at the age of 18, and went on to win a spot landing contest for which the trophy was awarded to her by the famous pilot General Jimmy Doolittle. On January 4, 1941 Doris married her husband of 62 years Harold Roland Ollett of New York City. After Pearl Harbor, Harold enlisted in the army and served the next 4 years in the Pacific, while Doris took his job working in the New York subway system. After the war they lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, then finally settled in Cochran, Georgia where all three of her children were born. In 1958 Harold was transferred to San Bernardino, California with his job in civil service. It was a long way from family, but Doris made wonderful friends there and started her career in cake decorating. She was famous for her skill and artistry with cakes and cookies. She was always a wonderful cook, seamstress, and gardener, and blessed her family and friends with delicious home cooking and canned goodies from the garden. In 1965 the family moved to Brigham City, Utah when Harold was transferred to Hill AFB. They were very active in the Baptist Church, and Doris and Harold served as Sunday School teachers for 4 and 5 year olds for many years. They were very involved in the community soup kitchen which served a weekly meal to those in the community who needed some extra help. The partakers always loved it when it was Doris’ turn to cook because she made the meal so special and delicious. In 1980 they moved to Mantua, Utah into a home they built themselves – literally. They only got help with the heavy stuff like foundation and framing. In 2000 Doris and Harold moved to St George, Utah after all the children left the Brigham City area. They enjoyed St George, but escaped the hot summers to spend in Tooele, Utah with her daughter where she helped with the huge garden. Harold passed away in 2003. Doris has left a wonderful legacy of a very close family, a strong faith in God, and an example of a beautiful marriage that lasted 62 years. In May we celebrated 100 years of a very special life lived in service to her family, her God, and her fellow man. Doris is survived by her three children Susan Kenny McDonald of St George, Utah, Elizabeth Anne (Betsy) Cragun and husband Randy of St George, and James Taylor Ollett of Bellingham, Washington, two grandchildren and two great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Harold Ollett, her parents, and all her siblings. The family would like to thank Intermountain Hospice nurses, chaplain, and volunteers for their care of her throughout the last year of life, and would like to express our sincere love and appreciation for the special care and love shared with her by the wonderful staff at Seasons Health and Rehabilitation, especially since the lockdown which prohibited her family from seeing her on a daily basis. A memorial service will be held graveside as soon as family can travel to be here for the celebration of her life. Internment will be in the Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Tonaquint. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Intermountain Homecare and Hospice. Family and friends are invited to share tributes online at www.SerenitySTG.com . A memorial tree planting will be provided by Serenity Funeral Home of Southern Utah.