Mortimer Dorris

December 19, 1923 - January 18, 2021

Mort passed away in his sleep on January 18th, after a long battle with Parkinson’s and then a brief battle with COVID. He was born to Edwin Drake and Irene Bonnett Dorris and grew up in Riverside, California. He married Maurene Fife in 1946 and they recently celebrated 74 wonderful years of marriage. They moved to Downey in 1952 and still reside in the family home.

He was a member of the Greatest Generation, serving his nation in the South Pacific as an Army Air Corps B24 bomber pilot. After the war he entered USC and graduated in 1949 with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. After 19 months more of graduate studies at USC, he was hired by The Bechtel Corporation in January of 1951, where he spent his whole career. He was located both stateside and abroad. While stationed overseas in London, England, and then in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, he was eventually in charge of The Jubail Project. It was the largest civil engineering project in the world, creating a city for 370,000 people, the infrastructure for 16 primary industries, and a dual port shipping center. He retired from Bechtel in 1988.

He lived a life full of love, family and adventure. Many family trips were taken to the lake, beach camping and water skiing, as well as many weekends spent at the family beach house, swimming in the surf, building sand castles and yes, digging holes, and playing lots of cards. He was an avid golfer. He took up scuba diving when he was in his 60’s, which led to trips to the Red Sea, Cozumel, Belize and the Cayman Islands with multiple family members going with him.

He is survived by his wife Maurene, his three daughters Kathleen (Lars), Jeanette (Richard), and Cynthia (Rick) and his son Mort Jr. (Julie), 7 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, his brother Weldon Dorris and sister Irene Webb Salyer.

In lieu of flowers please send a contribution to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association in his name. https://www.apdaparkinson.org/