Dorothy Jensen

Dorothy “Dotti” Knapp Jensen, of Simsbury, died peacefully on July 8 at the age of 95.

Dotti and her identical twin, Alison, were born on January 9, 1922 in New Britain, to Howard and Esther Knapp. The girls were beautiful and nearly impossible to tell apart.  A baby sister, Beatrice, came along ten years later.  Dotti enjoyed a happy childhood, and especially going to the movies with her twin on Saturday afternoons.  After graduating from Plainville High School, the twins studied at Auburn University.  When they returned to Plainville Dotti began working for Pratt and Whitney.  She was proud of her driving expertise and thoroughly enjoyed her position as a chauffeur for Pratt & Whitney executives.

Dotti met her first husband, Ben Coppinger, while at Pratt and Whitney.  They brought three children into the world, June, Howard and Douglas.  While Dotti’s focus was on the home, she also had several interesting and meaningful employment opportunities.  Of note was her time as a dental assistant which she found not only challenging, but very satisfying. Dotti and her second husband, Garth Jensen, were blessed with a daughter, Candace Asa, completing the family.

Dotti was a loving wife, devoted mother and good friend to many people.  A creative and master seamstress, she designed and coordinated the entire costume production process for the Simsbury Light Opera Company, SLOCO.  She was involved with SLOCO for many years and was honored with numerous awards for her hard work, skill, dedication and sheer talent.  She loved SLOCO and all it involved.

Dotti reveled in social gatherings and loved making people laugh.  In fact, she was famous for her joke telling, many of which included a tasteful level of bawdiness.  Her repertoire of jokes was uncanny, highlighting her superb memory.Another of Dotti’s passions was collecting, as well as creating, porcelain dolls.  And in her later years she developed her own special style of card-making utilizing various fabrics.  Her cards were famous among her circle of friends and family.

Dotti and Garth spent a number of their retirement years on Cape Cod, enjoying all the area had to offer.  Following Garth’s death, she returned to the Simsbury area to be closer to her children.  During that time she met and fell in love with Roy Spear.  They shared many good years together enjoying each other’s company.

Dotti is survived by her children: June and her husband Michael McCollister of Jackson Hole, Wy; Howard and his wife Barbara Coppinger of Willington, Ct; Douglas Coppinger and his fiancée, Meredith Monti, of Willington; Candace Asa Collins of New Haven; seven grand children and ten great grand children. In addition, she is survived by her cousins Janet Grogan and Ann Hanson Perkins, many nieces and nephews, and Roy Spear.

Dotti was preceded in death by her sisters Alison Knapp Lipski and Beatrice Knapp Murdock France and Ben Coppinger and Garth Jensen.A memorial service celebrating Dotti’s life will be held at Bailey Funeral Home, 48 Broad Street, Plainville, on Saturday, September 23 at 10 a.m.  Burial will be at West Cemetery with a reception to follow.

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