Doreen Louise Whitlock was born July 26, 1936, in Ruston, Washington. She later moved to Los Angeles, where she completed high school and began working for AT&T. It was a longtime source of pride for Doreen that she was among the first women to serve in the various roles she held within the company.
Doreen met the love of her life, George, and they married in September 1961. They lived in San Diego, where they welcomed two daughters. After George retired from the U.S. Navy in 1973, the family moved later that year to Centralia, where Doreen’s mother and sisters lived.
It was there that Doreen created her life’s legacy of service to her family and the countless organizations into which she poured her heart and soul. She served in both professional and volunteer capacities in hospitality and health care. Along with her family, the Girl Scouts were her heartbeat. She also belonged to and served with the Red Cross, veterans charities, the Moose Lodge, Chehalis Eagles and American Legion over the years, forming lifelong friendships with people she considered family.
Doreen was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, George, who died just 16 months ago, in April 2025. She had been looking forward to their eternal reunion ever since.
She is survived by George’s son, George (Ursela) Whitlock, of Coos Bay, Oregon; daughters, LaRae (Paul) Pieroni, of Alpharetta, Georgia, and Robin (Leland) Kover, of Guyton, Georgia; sisters, Chris (Dick) Anderson, of Centralia, and Shirlene Mills, of Chehalis; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
Doreen’s life will be celebrated from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, September 13, 2026, at the Centralia American Legion at 111 West Main St. in Centralia.
