Obituary of Dorothy Jean Bernstein

"� because I know you� I have been changed for good" and you have "left a handprint on my heart�"from WICKED.Dorothy Davis Flesche Bernstein died peacefully on June 3, 2018 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was born on August 16, 1923 to Elizabeth Jackson Davis and Federal Judge Charles B. Davis of Webster Groves, Missouri. Dorothy graduated from Webster Groves High School (where she was often referred to as the "swellest girl in her class") and DePauw University, where she served as president of Kappa Alpha Theta and was a member of Mortar Board. She married John Miles Flesche, Jr. (known to many as "Steve"), the love of her life, and they had five children.Dorothy managed the Peck & Peck stores in St. Louis, Missouri. Later she managed the three Montaldos stores in Colorado for twenty years. All five children attended college in Colorado, and as they graduated they chose to stay in Colorado. In 1972, Dorothy and Steve moved to Evergreen, Colorado to join their children. Steve died while playing tennis with Dorothy in Evergreen, after twenty-nine blissful years of marriage.Later, Dorothy married William Robert Wallace, whom she knew from her college days. Eight and a half years later, Will died of cancer. Dorothy then married Leonard Joseph Bernstein in 1994. After eighteen years of marriage, Leonard passed away at the age of 95.Dorothy's lifelong interest in volunteering began when she was a "Grey Lady" for the American Red Cross at the close of World War II. With the children at home, Dorothy enjoyed volunteering in their school, church, and sport activities. At Montaldos, she organized fashion shows for many charities such as: The American Cancer Society; The Juvenile Diabetes Carousel Ball; The Pioneer Museum; November Noel/Newborn Hope; The Colorado Lung Association (while also serving as President and on its board); and The Assistance League.Dorothy is remembered for her devotion to family and friends, her loving, gracious charm, her self-described "nauseating extrovert" personality, her quest for perfection, her competitive spirit, her total acceptance of and love for each and every person who crossed her path, her artistic homes and fashion flair, her omnipotent positive attitude, her beautiful smile, and her ability to persevere, often cavalierly saying, "Aren't we having fun?". Dorothy is survived by her children, Jane Mills Flesche Gorman, Elizabeth Flesche (Jim) Stansberry, John Miles (Laura) Flesche, III, Mary Melissa Flesche Mercier, and Charles Davis (Brownie) Flesche; her grandchildren, Genevieve Rose Taylor, Marnie Melissa Flesche (Wsiel) Bello, Holly Elizabeth Mercier, Kaitlin Elizabeth Flesche, Amanda Gail Flesche (Jeff) Pendleton, John Miles Mercier and Charles Garrett Flesche; and her great grandchildren, Lucas Matten Bello, Sofia Melissa Bello, Jedidiah Charles Pendleton, Jalan Manuel Bello and Bethany Kay Pendleton.As Dorothy loved to say, "God is in charge and all is well." Dorothy will be honored this summer in a private family service at Bear Creek Cemetery in Evergreen, Colorado. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to charities of the giver's choice.