Dora was born in Kersey, Colorado, in April of 1938. She was a Mexican-American born to her father Francisco Rubio Lozano, and her mother Romanita Benavidez-Lozano. She had seven siblings, one adopted.
Dora grew up in the southwestern part of the US as the family moved around Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Arizona, and California. Her family settled in the Los Angeles, California, area at the time that she met her future husband, Troy Grimes.
She was preceeded in death by her husband, Troy Grimes. She is survived by her children Debbie Grimes (Dan Lanham) and Monty Grimes; five grandchildren: Monica Grimes (Robert James Nalbach), Elissa Michelle Grimes, Gabriel Grimes, Daniel Grimes and Matthew Grimes; and two great-grandchildren: Elisabeth Grace Nalbach and Daniel Nalbach.
Dora and Troy met at The Town Hall, a Country and Western TV and radio show that took place in Compton, California, where some of the best Country acts of the day performed live. The shows were also broadcast on radio and TV stations across the nation. Dora and her sister used to go weekly, chaperoned by their dad. At the dance one night, Troy went to where Dora and her sister were sitting and asked her to dance. They danced together for the rest of the night. Before leaving, Troy asked Dora to write to him, which she did.
Troy, who was stationed on a US Navy destroyer at the time, soon left for a six-month overseas tour. During this time, they wrote back and forth many times. By the time he returned to the States, they were practically engaged based on their letters. Up to that time, they had only met in person that one night at the dance.
They married, and Troy, who was from Holley, talked Dora into moving to Florida. There, he built a nice house for her and their family.
People in Holley knew her as “Charmaine,” a nickname that she went by at the time that she met Troy. The name stuck, but in her later years, she preferred to go by her given name, Dora.
From the time that she was a small girl, she wanted to be a housewife and a mother. Later, she wanted her grandkids and then great-grandkids.
Troy and Dora had a wonderful marriage. They provided a loving and stable environment to raise their children. People who knew her would agree that she was a sweet and kind person. To her family, she was an amazing mother and a person of great depth.
When asked for adjectives to describe her, the family responded:
- Playful
- Humorous
- Devout
- Generous
- Beautiful – body and soul
- Fiercely devoted to her family.
- Animal lover
- Beloved
- Loving
- Precious
- Humble
- Blessed
Dora introduced her kids to a life of reading. She had a thirst for knowledge. She was a lifelong learner. She often lamented that she could not be an astronomer or a physicist. Dora was the one who inspired her children to pursue higher education. Debbie became a high school Spanish teacher, and Monty became an electrical engineer.
She was a fantastic cook of both Mexican and Southern cuisines. Her family would frequently ask for Mexican dishes when they got together. She was legendary for her bean, cheese, and chorizo empanadas.
She loved to make DIY projects for her family, leaving precious heirlooms.
Dora was active until the end. She went quickly and unexpectedly, probably her heart.
She is gone but the acts of her life and her legacy will carry in the hearts of her family and those that knew her.
