Denice

Everyone who knew Denice Doss—and that includes thousands of us—knows she left us far too soon last Tuesday.

But, perhaps, not that many of us stopped to think she was one of the few persons in any community who was involved with, and deeply touched, its residents at so many phases of life.

• She helped our children as the Rockdale ISD’s ACE (Texas After School Centers on Education) Program director.

• She blessed many of our special-needs citizens as director of the MARC Center.

• She was the public face of the Rockdale Chamber of Commerce for many years. Her title changed several times but Denice never did. To many in the Rockdale business community, Denice was the Chamber.

• She was director of the Rockdale Senior Citizens Center and helped establish it as a fine service that’s still going strong today.

You’ve heard the term “cradle to grave”? Denice Doss took care of Rockdalians “almost cradle to almost grave,” if we can coin a phrase.

(By the way, we are referring to her in this editorial as “Denice,” not “Mrs. Doss.” It would be like calling your sibling by their last name. Yes, she was that special.)

If you’re wondering what was so special about Denice, it means you didn’t know her. We are going to try and explain her to you, but we can’t really do justice to her in so few paragraphs.

Denice was one of the most positive persons who ever lived. She looked for, and found, the good in every situation. An example, these excerpts are from Denice’s popular weekly Reporter column for Oct. 9, 2008:

“We will rise and do fine...this could be your time...We are a delightful little town...Don’t lose heart...This is not the time to attack, only to unite... There are so many good things going on.”

Did you catch the date? That was nine days after Alcoa announced it was closing Rockdale Operations.

Denice did more than write encouraging words. She got out and worked to make them happen, helped stage many community events, was involved in economic development before most of us knew what the term meant and relentlessly—but always cheerfully—boosted Rockdale.

She also shared her considerable musical talents with the community. Not to glorify herself. If you knew her you know who she glorified, in all aspects of her life, was God.

Denice was instrumental in getting the iTigers program going in the Rockdale ISD. Have you noticed all the young volunteers at many community events, including Christmas Roundup? Denice had a big hand in starting that.

She had so many important jobs in our community, but to her they were more than jobs. She loved the kids. She loved the Rockdale business community. She loved the MARC clients. She loved the senior citizens. Of course, she loved her family, her friends, her church and her God.

Did she ever love Rockdale! And Rockdale loved her right back.—M.B.