I said, 'What?!' Add to your scrapbook. (She plays marimba.) Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. After the DeBolts were married, they moved into the Piedmont house, with Robert bringing his 10-year-old-daughter, Doni. Drew Carey's Ex-Fianc Allegedly Murdered By Ex-Boyfriend In Hollywood Hills. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Some of their neighbors would throw rotten eggs and tomatoes at the yard and while yelling "to go back to where they came from." ", Then she got a call from an organization trying to place severely wounded Vietnamese children. After Atwood died in 1963, Dorothy took in two more both disabled youngsters from Vietnam. The blended family grew, with each new child learning to contribute to the household and support the others. It was the Vietnam war and I had these Amerasian children." Seconds later, she said aloud: Oh my God, we dont have a kid named Jennifer.. "It was a blind date. DeBolt went on to serve in the Air Force, ultimately retiring as a lieutenant. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? It the story of a woman, excuse me, a lady, Dorothy DeBolt, born in 1903, who had a heart bigger than a watermelon. They began by adopting unwanted children -- those left in hospitals or shuttled through foster homes. ". Try again. Bob DeBolt said Monday that his wife was moved to adopt partly by her faith Thank you, God was posted about the house although she was not overly religious. See additional information. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Try again later. Every big newspaper prints obituaries every day, of course. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Bob DeBolt, an acclaimed public speaker, recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, recognized by the U.S. Congress and four presidents and once appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the President's Committee on Youth and Families, died Jan. 24 in El Cajon at age 84. (Not associated with the Piedmont Historical Society in Piedmont, California). At first, Longoria told investigators that he hadn't seen DeBolt since they first met in July and had been at a bar last night, but they were able to determine that he was involved after Longoria was arrested on vehicular burglary charges when he attempted to leave the state. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! "After people realized what we were doing, they really tried to help." Movies. She was making $775 a month. Weve updated the security on the site. She told me about how horrible the family and the children were first treated when they got to Piedmont. But most of them nowadayscontrary to days that I . Longoria's girlfriend, Eva Brown, told him to end their relationship. Some of the adopted children are paraplegic or have other physical handicaps. After creating the Sidney Dearing website, a woman who had moved from Berkeley to Piedmont in the 70s was eager to talk to me but not knowing how to find me, went to our Chief of Police in Piedmont (2021) asking for my contact information. Robert DeBolt remembered as tireless adoption, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Robert DeBolt remembered as tireless adoption advocate. The adoption agency she and her husband founded,Adopt A Special Kid, or AASK,was the first in the country to focus on special needs children, the family said. These are either the son of Abraham and a second wife, or Mary did not die in 1748. Among his other achievements and accolades, Bob DeBolt served as a board member for the National Council on Adoption in Washington, D.C., and the North American Council on Adoptable Children. When Longoria was sentenced to serve life in prison without parole in 2012, he waived his right to appear, refusing to face DeBolt's family himself. I begged service clubs to let me speak. Vernon, where she visited on many occasions She is Survived by her, husband Bryant C DeBolt of Palmyra, her mother, Mrs. Lavlna Leedy of Akenytown, and by the following children:Mrs. Paul Reed of, Oklahoma, Paul DoBolt of near Palmyra, Mrs. Llllle Gregg of Fredericktown, Ethel at home. In the 27 years since, Dorothy DeBolt and her second husband, Robert, have started an agency -- Aid to Adoption of Special Kids -- to promote and facilitate adoption of hard-to-place children, and they have made careers out of speaking on how they have raised their own family. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Try again later. At the time, Longoria was dating a woman named Eva Brown. French soccer legend dies at 89; scored record 13 goals in 1958 World Cup, Obituary: Richard Roth, 83, was former vice mayor of Alameda, Olympic gold medalist Bob Richards dies; was first athlete featured on a Wheaties box, Rapid demise of Dilbert no surprise to some who were watching. "She was a doll," he says. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Please try again later. DeBolt and 36-year-old Adam Longoria began talking after meeting at a party. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. One saw his parents killed in a bombing, and some were wounded in war. Today, he is 18, walking with braces and crutches, slimmed down, in 10th grade, an honor student and secretary of the student body. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. The couple, who founded an Oakland-based nonprofit adoption agency for special needs children, taught their own to be self-reliant and to live independently. ", "Would you believe," says Robert DeBolt, leaning forward in his chair, "we're on the Gray Line tour? Learn more about merges. Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Thanks for your help! ", The DeBolts take turns telling anecdotes about the children. " says Dorothy DeBolt. She also found little hate notes in her mailbox: "Why don't you take these little bastard children and move out? Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Search above to list available cemeteries. Arleen Ng staff 6/17/00 Tribune CueLy DeBolt of Berkeley has a talk with her adoptive father Robert, 69, at Temescal Park in Oakland during their family reunion. Two months later, with nine children, she met Robert DeBolt. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Verify and try again. ", On Robert DeBolt's right hand is a large, oval turquoise ring. This is a carousel with slides. The family was featured in the 1977 documentary Who Are the DeBolts? In 2010, 14-year-old DeBolt was killed by a much older man she'd been texting and seeing at parties, Adam Longoria, and fortunately, he's since been brought to justice, although the lives of everyone who loved DeBolt will obviously never be the same. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. (My parents) believed that children should be raised not in an institution but in a nurturing, lifelong loving family, Doni DeBolt said. There is a problem with your email/password. RELATED: Rapper Baby Soulja Charged With Murder What We Know. "These children can come from some of the damnedest backgrounds, and they can adjust.". Bob and Dorothy married some months later on June 5, 1970. I fell in love on the first date, Dorothy told The Times in 1988. With life insurance money, she put a down payment on the house in Piedmont. is a former sports writer for the Bay Area News Group who especially enjoys soccer and baseball. Five children are from Dorothy DeBolt's previous marriage. Sorry! These werent throwaway kids, he said. Bob DeBolt, who moved to Oakland in 1967, relocated with Dorothy to Piedmont in 1970 and then with Dorothy to El Cajon in 1987. ", Dorothy DeBolt already had given birth to five children and adopted two Amerasian children when her first husband, an insurance broker, died. When she found out that he was talking to a much younger girl, she told him to "take care of the problem." [[[Normal]]][[[Normal]]]{Infobox Head/}FYI. I got a note from a neighbor one time that said, 'You, Dorothy, are a traitor to this country.' You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. But now, he's so motivated he's driving us crazy." They have a folder of material on themselves and a list of suggested speech topics: "Love, Laughter, and Twenty Kids," "From Burn-Out to Bonfire," "Parenting in the '80s," "Society Says 'Handicapped' -- We Say 'Challenged.' Can I go to the playground after school?, DeBolt replied: Sure, honey, but be home by 5, and hung up. It was a story Dorothy Atwood DeBolt enjoyed telling, one that any harried parent of young children might find somewhat familiar. And the local school system, the DeBolts say, supported what they were doing from the start. The man who owned the company I ran -- his wife was an avocational matchmaker . "We were all working," she said. "It has seven bedrooms, but more importantly it has six bathrooms," says Robert DeBolt. There have been two films made about the DeBolts -- one was the Academy Award-winning "Who Are the DeBolts -- And Where Did They Get 19 Kids?" Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Susannah DeBolt (57374100)? Mrs. DoBolt Was 55 years of age and was quite well known In Mt. Dorothy DeBolt received the 1982 "Endow a Dream" Award from the W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation. For the next two months, he would continue texting her, attempting to get her into his car. The Kansas Supreme Court has upheld Adam Longoria's capital murder conviction for killing Alicia DeBolt. Most of all, Bob and Dorothy made the highest use of their public speaking abilities to advocate for multiracial, single-parent and sibling-group adoptions. PIEDMONT Robert "Bob" Wesley DeBolt and his late wife, Dorothy, made it their mission in life to help as many children as they possibly could, whether as biological parents, stepparents or . Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. The DeBolts later adopted their 20th child, Reynaldo, a Mexican street kid with a paralyzed leg who was part of a sequel. "Now, when we left home, it was 20," says Robert DeBolt straight-faced, "but it might be more." Actually, only seven of those 20 live in the DeBolt home in Piedmont, Calif., near San Francisco. DeBolt's family has spoken out about the crime. We decided to show it by adopting children.". . Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? 28, 1972, Dorothy DeBolt dies at 89; adoption advocate raised 20 children, By REBECCA TROUNSON, LOS ANGELES TIMES MARCH 12, 2013 12 AM PT. She said, 'I've fixed him up with a lot of nice ladies, but what he wants is someone intelligent. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. But no one's gone off the deep end. The night of August 21, DeBolt and Longoria exchanged a series of text messages, including one where she gave him her address. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. DOROTHY AND Robert DeBolt have 20 children. The Democratic banner., January 20, 1922, Page PAGE THREE, Image 3 MRS. SUSIE DEBOLT DIES AT PALMYRA Mrs. Susie DoBolt, wife of B C. DeBolt, died at her home near Palmyra Monday noon of a complication of diabetes. Is the vulgar anti-Tesla sign on my neighbors truck illegal? Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Nicole Pomarico is an entertainment and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared in Cosmo, Us Weekly, Refinery29, and more. She attended UC Berkeley, then became a professional pianist, joining a San Francisco combo that played boogie woogie and other popular music. Mrs. DoBolt Was 55 years of age and was quite well known In Mt. Though he flirted with her, DeBolt told Longoria she only wanted to be friends, though at the timehe told her he was only 25. "When she first came, everyone stared. At Longoria's sentencing, DeBolt's family admitted that she"had a past" and would often go missinbut that did not justify what Longoria had done not by a longshot. "She's there a few hours and her eyes glaze over," says Dorothy DeBolt. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). (Staff Archivess). "My immediate neighbor was lovely, others weren't so sure . Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? Tallahassee Democrat - Thu - Feb. 15, 1979. They watch it on weekends. Their $50,000-a-year income comes from lecture tours (the $50,000 Dorothy received with the Stone award will go to their adoption agency). Swims like one, too.". We felt the need to say 'Hey, God, thank you, we're lucky.' Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Born on Aug. 19, 1931 in Amarillo, Texas, Robert Wesley DeBolt went on to graduate from the University of New Mexico in 1955 with a degree in civil engineering. "What she really fixed me up with was a sexy, intelligent woman," says Robert DeBolt. In the late 1960s, she was a widow with nine kids when a friend set her up on a blind date with Bob DeBolt, a civil engineer who was recently divorced and had one child. Mostly, he said, she was motivated by the fact that because these kids were disabled didnt mean they werent adoptable. DOROTHY AND Robert DeBolt have 20 children. Failed to remove flower. "I'm ungainfully employed." cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. "She didn't marry me," he says. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. DeBolt, whose family became the subject of two films, including an Oscar-winning documentary, died of cardiac arrest at her El Cajon home. All had something that made them difficult to be adopted. I remember my mother -- she's Swedish -- used to say to me, 'Doora,' " she says, mimicking her mother's Swedish accent, " 'you haf to learn to listen to God through yoor ea-hers, not through your stoo-mach.' Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. . She answered and a child said: Mom, this is Jennifer. As embodiments of the postive mental attitude that Stone espouses, the DeBolts certainly qualify. ", "We believe deeply in God," she says. It is a large, old, three-story house. I was on the phone with this woman, and God said, 'Okay, Dora, why don't you take them?' "We took out the television set about seven years ago -- that's what caused friction and arguing," said Dorothy DeBolt. And they try to talk about the problems. But I tell my kids, 'You're so much luckier than I was.' Still, Longoria continued contacting Brown, though DeBolt questioned him when she started getting text messages from Brown herself. These included children like those in their family who came from abusive homes, had physical handicaps and those from Vietnam who had injuries from the war. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. There was an error deleting this problem. And of her husband, who helped her shoulder the enormous load. Her body was found four days later. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Obviously a lady in the finest sense of the word. "With my first husband, we had four healthy children born to us in four years," Dorothy DeBolt says. Resend Activation Email. He and my mom were passionate about making the world a better place for children in foster care, Doni DeBolt said. 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