Dorothy Cook King, "Dottie," 82, of Pensacola, FL passed away at her home on Tuesday, December 31, 2024.

Dottie was born to Virginia Mae (Russell) Cook and Sellers Cook on February 13, 1942, in Montgomery, AL. She earned degrees in mathematics from the University of Southern Mississippi and Louisiana State University. For more than 40 years, she taught mathematics at the middle school, high school, and college levels, mentoring and shaping the lives of innumerable students. She was intelligent and endlessly generous, with a gift for explanation - always teaching, both inside and outside the classroom. She was known also for her insightful acts of kindness, and for her stylish hair bun, hoop earrings, and beautiful and sophisticated Southern accent - a surprising way to learn calculus for the uninitiated.

Dottie is survived by her son, Adrian Lamar King of Gunnison, CO; her daughter, Hadley Claire King, of New York, NY; her dear friend, George Gary Demmy; and many other cherished friends. We will forever hold her in our hearts.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, O'Gwen Lamar King.

Dottie shared her knowledge constantly - she taught us about flaxseeds, turmeric, shrimp creole, salads, basil pesto with pecans, apple pies, table etiquette, less vs. fewer, lie vs. lay, thank-you letters, independent films, camellias, planets and constellations, cardinals, great blue herons, sea turtles, antique rugs and furniture, breastfeeding, staying active, sensible shoes, style vs. fashion, sunscreen, Scrabble, growing herbs and lettuces, using fresh aloe vera for jellyfish stings, Arnica, pitcher plants, trying to grow zinnias at the beach, adventurous travel (India, Cuba, Peru, Bhutan, Cambodia...), oil spills, peyote, Leonard Cohen, Ansel Adams, M.C. Escher, Banksy, food labels, NPR, PBS, Masterpiece, Wordle, Sudoku, yoga, and so much more.  Above all, she was the most devoted mother; her life revolved around her deep love for her children.

In retirement, Dottie focused on photography, a lifelong passion that began in a darkroom she created out of a bomb shelter in her front yard over forty years ago. Her portraits and landscapes captured the beauty and details of daily life and the human condition in communities around the globe, earning accolades she accepted with great modesty.

Dottie was an independent thinker who held strong convictions. She was active in the American Association of University Women and remained a relentless supporter of the arts and a dedicated protector of the environment.

A private Celebration of Life will be held.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida .