Dorothy Lorene Crawford Boardman

Dorothy Lorene Crawford Boardman (Dotti), 75, returned home to her God who gave her life on Saturday, January 29, 2022, in Heber City, Utah, after suffering a stroke and many long years battling Alzheimer’s Disease.

“The Dot” was born in Elyria, Ohio on October 6, 1946, the youngest child of Grace Marie McKitrick and Kenneth Earl Crawford. She graduated from Elyria High School in 1964, where she was captain of the national champion cheerleading squad. She attended Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa, graduating with a double major in Sociology and Psychology. While there, she met Cal Boardman and they were married in Independence, Missouri on May 27, 1967. The couple moved to Cal’s home state of Texas to manage the Western Hills Hotel, a property owned by Cal’s grandparents. While living in Euless, Texas, Dotti gave birth to a son, Justin Earl, in 1970 and a daughter, Kathleen Marie “Kit”, at the end of 1971. They were her world. After living in Texas for a few years, they moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and ultimately settled in North Salt Lake, Utah. They later divorced and remained friends.

Dotti loved being with her children and grandchildren more than anything. They were her world and the reason for working so hard throughout her life. She wanted them to have more than she did in every way. She often fought their battles or cheered from the sidelines as they grew to learn to fight their own. Dotti loved her extended family so much and was a second mom to many, holding them all close to her heart.

Dotti always had a strong faith in her Heavenly Father, worshipping Him as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (now Community of Christ) for 52 years and as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for her last 23 years of life. She loved both groups of people equally and found her faith and testimony strengthened as she served and worshipped faithfully. She found great peace through the doctrines of eternity and her temple covenants.

Dotti loved to work, starting at only 8 years old in the family ice cream manufacturing business, Crawford Frozen Novelties. As life continued, she ran a preschool out of her home, worked for years as a paralegal, property manager, and ultimately found her dream job as a State Farm Insurance agent. Her career at State Farm was so important to her and she excelled in every way, as an agent, manager, and one of the first female agency field executives in the country. She made a name for herself all the way to the company president. Dotti won countless awards and recognitions, enjoyed sponsoring the Utah Jazz, and traveled the world with the other agents whom she considered family.

She genuinely loved with all her heart. Her fun, happy nature and countenance was contagious. She was spunky, feisty, and independent. Her hugs, smiles, and witty sayings, “The Dot Thoughts”, will live on in the lives of many.

Dotti has always been a fighter. She experienced much trauma in her early life, but from it came compassion, courage, and empathy for others. Her examples of this were shown often, including dropping everything when her family was in need, paying for groceries, clothes, and Christmas for strangers, and countless other gestures of love and goodness. She was not without fault or painful regret, but she kept trying. An example of forgiveness, hope and resiliency.

She will be greatly missed by so many, as her impact has rippled over many years, many places, and spanned many generations of people. Her legacy will live on as we ALL choose compassion and love towards each other, topped off with huge smiles and giant hugs!

As the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease took her mind from us, she was still fun, spunky and full of life and SO many hugs! She was the favorite of many of the wonderful CNAs and administration at The Abbington/Spring Gardens Assisted Living Center in Heber City, Utah, where she spent the last 6 years of her life. We are extremely grateful for their excellent care, love and support.

Alzheimer’s Disease may have taken much of her mind and body at a younger age, but it couldn’t touch her soul. May she find rest and true healing in Heaven surrounded by loved ones who adore her as we do. May Heavenly Father and the Savior, Jesus Christ, wrap her in their arms as she enters the next step. Live it up in Heaven, Mom… we ALL honor your name!

Dotti is survived by her family: Son, Justin Boardman of Salt Lake City, Utah; honorary daughters-in-law, Annika Gotberg and Melanie Perez; and grandchildren: Zachary and Sarah (wife) and Ezra (great-grandson) Boardman, Carter Boardman and Sophia Boardman. Her daughter and son-in-law, Kathleen “Kit” and Michael Gardiner of Heber City, Utah, and grandchildren: Emma Gardiner, Seth Gardiner, Eliza Gardiner, and Grace Gardiner; Half-sisters, Jackie Crawford Dillinger and Cherie Crawford of Elyria, Ohio, and many nieces, nephews and extended family. Dotti is preceded in death by her mother, Grace; father, Ken; sister, Gale; brother, Kenny. She loved her family fiercely and worked hard to bless them in every way she knew how.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 5, 2022, at the Cobblestone Ward chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 1661 E 980 S, Heber City, UT 84032. A public visitation with the family will take place immediately prior to the service from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the same location. Please join us immediately after the funeral service in the church cultural hall for an Ice Cream Social to celebrate Dotti, reiterating her claim to fame that she was born and raised on ice cream! Graveside service and burial will follow the social and take place at the Heber City Cemetery, located at 680 N 550 E, Heber City, UT 84032 at approximately 3:45 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Dotti’s behalf to the Survivor Advocacy Fund at this link: https://justinboardman.com/donate/


Funeral services will also be streamed at this website https://my.gather.app/remember/dorothy-boardman