Roby Samson Dorman

Roby Samson Dorman lived a full and purposeful life spanning eighty-one years, marked by military service, steadfast family devotion, and a career in aerospace manufacturing that spanned decades. Born on August 9, 1944, during World War II in Tacoma, Washington to Raymond and Leila Dorman, Roby grew from a young Air Force enlistee into a beloved family patriarch and respected community member who, by the end of his life, had witnessed the birth of eighteen great-grandchildren while maintaining a reputation for thoughtful generosity and creative capability.

The year 1944 was significant for the Pacific Northwest, as Tacoma and the surrounding region were experiencing profound economic and demographic changes driven by World War II military spending and industrial expansion. His birth occurred in a city that had become a vital center for military preparation and defense manufacturing, placing him squarely within the generation that would become known as the Baby Boom cohort.

His mother, Leila, carried the maiden name Parrish and was born on March 10, 1914, the daughter of George Anderson and Mary Frances (Boykin) Parrish. The records indicate that Leila was married twice, first to Verner Pate in 1937, and subsequently to Kermit Dorman in 1945. This chronology suggests that Roby's birth in 1944 occurred during Leila's first marriage to Verner Pate, though his surname clearly identifies his paternal lineage through his father Raymond Dorman.

As a young man coming of age in post-war Tacoma, Roby received his secondary education at Stadium High School, an institution with deep historical roots and distinctive architectural character. Stadium High School, located in the Stadium District near downtown Tacoma, was established in 1906 as the first public high school in the region, originally created through the conversion of an uncompleted railway hotel project into an educational facility. The school's stadium was added to the campus in 1910 and became a defining landmark of the area.

Upon graduating from Stadium High School, Roby made the consequential decision to enter the United States Air Force at the age of seventeen. This choice placed him within a significant cohort of young American men who pursued military service during the late 1950s and early 1960s, a period when the Cold War strategic posture created substantial demand for military personnel. However, his military service was not lengthy and was terminated when he made the decision to leave active military service to care for his aging mother, demonstrating a prioritization of family obligation over career advancement.

It was during this period of familial caregiving that Roby met Virginia "Gigi" Dorman, the woman who would become the central figure in his adult life and with whom he would share sixty years of marriage. Roby and Virginia were united in marriage on May 28, 1966, marking the beginning of a partnership that would endure for exactly six decades, from the mid-1960s until Roby's death in 2026.

The marriage between Roby and Virginia resulted in the birth of three children: Leila (married to Steve Eaton), Lisa Prime, and John (married to Stacia Dorman). The naming of their oldest child, Leila, after Roby's mother suggests a cultural practice of honoring family lineage and intergenerational connection. Beyond their biological children, Roby and Virginia demonstrated a profound commitment to foster care and mentorship, as the obituary notes that "through the years, Roby and Gigi opened their hearts and doors to many 'kids' who have become family."

By the end of his life, Roby's biological children had themselves become parents and grandparents, creating a multigenerational family structure encompassing twelve grandchildren and eighteen great-grandchildren. The presence of such a substantial extended family demonstrates not only Roby's biological contribution to future generations but also suggests the successful transmission of family values and the maintenance of family bonds across generational boundaries.

Roby's economic livelihood was constructed around employment with The Boeing Company, one of the Pacific Northwest's largest employers and a dominant force in aerospace manufacturing and defense contracting. The specific position that Roby held at Boeing was that of electrician, a skilled trade classification that placed him within the upper echelon of manufacturing employment in terms of compensation, job security, and occupational prestige. His career at Boeing appears to have been characterized by stability and longevity, culminating in his retirement as an electrician with the company, providing him with economic security and the opportunity to support his family at a middle-class standard of living.

The obituary provides insight into Roby's personal interests and leisure activities, revealing dimensions of his character beyond his roles as worker and family patriarch. Roby was described as "creative and kind," characteristics that suggest both an artistic temperament and an empathetic orientation toward other people. One significant outlet for his creativity and mechanical aptitude was his love of working on automobiles and various household and mechanical projects. This interest placed him within a long American tradition of automotive enthusiasm and mechanical self-sufficiency.

Beyond mechanical pursuits, Roby and Virginia invested substantially in travel and leisure activities, specifically vacationing and traveling in their motorhome. The acquisition and use of a motorhome represents a significant financial and lifestyle commitment, reflecting both economic security and a desire to experience varied environments and geographies. The decision to invest in motorhome travel suggests that Roby and Virginia valued experiences, adventure, and the maintenance of an active lifestyle into their later years.

The obituary offers a poignant observation about Roby's approach to gift-giving, noting that "if you were blessed to ever receive a gift from Roby, you know it was thoughtful and intentional with meaning." This characterization moves beyond simple material generosity to suggest a more profound orientation toward human connection and emotional expression through the carefully considered selection and presentation of gifts. This approach to gift-giving reflects values rooted in personal meaning and demonstrated genuine engagement with the recipient's identity and desires.

The final dimension of Roby's life concerns his evolving relationship to religious faith and his integration into the faith community of Bonney Lake, Washington. The death notice states that "as Roby grew older he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and we know he was welcomed at the gates of heaven." This formulation suggests a conversion experience or a deepening of religious commitment that occurred during his later years, potentially during his retirement or as he approached the end of his life.

Roby Samson Dorman died on March 21, 2026, after what the obituary characterizes as a peaceful passing "surrounded by his loved ones." At the time of his death, Roby was eighty-one years old, having reached an age that approaches the current life expectancy for American males. His death occurred during the post-retirement years of his life, after he had ceased active employment at Boeing and had the opportunity to pursue leisure activities including travel in his motorhome. The legacy that Roby left encompasses multiple dimensions of human impact and social contribution, most directly embodied in the lives of his biological descendants and the numerous individuals whom he and Virginia took into their home and hearts throughout their married life.