Dorothy Lorraine Soares

A long life well lived. Dorothy Soares passed away surrounded by family and loved ones in Belgrade, MT on Saturday, August 26, 2023. Until she passed at 97 years of age, Dorothy continued to exemplify all the values and personality that made her a matriarch and inspiration to her family, friends, and community.

Dorothy always possessed class, compassion, empathy, honesty, kindness, generosity, humility, and patience. However, her greatest possession of all was her family. The time she spent sharing her wisdom and life experiences will always be treasured by her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids.

Dorothy’s journey wasn’t always easy, but she did it hand in hand with the love of her life, Jim Soares. From raising six incredible children, to uprooting their home and lives in bustling California to the wide-open spaces of Montana in 1980. Through this transition, Dorothy was responsible for remodeling a home from ground up, establishing a business, connecting with her neighbors, and settling herself and Jim into a new church and community. She made the hard look easy, never shied from a challenge, and brought grace to everyday life.

Through the years Dorothy obtained her pilot’s license and became a pillar in the fabric of Belgrade, all while remaining the loving anchor and matriarch of her family which grew to include her and Jim’s six children, 15 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.

Dorothy was born in Los Angeles, CA, on December 30, 1925. She had one sister, Ruth Schneider. Dorothy graduated from Manteca High School and married Jim Soares on December 14, 1944. Together they raised six wonderful children whom they were so very proud of. They are Suzy (Jerry) Gray, Jim (Marilyn) Soares, Mark (Patricia) Soares, Cindra (William) Sutton, Jeanne (Ron) Hecht, and Joanne (Kelly) Bradley.

She was preceded in death by husband James Soares, sister Ruth Schneider, cousin Jeannie Larson, son-in-law William Sutton, and grandsons Casey Rieber and John Gray.

A Funeral Mass will be held for Dorothy at 12:05 PM on Tuesday, September 12th, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Belgrade. A Reception will be held at 2:00 PM at Riverside Country Club in Bozeman.

For those of you who had the opportunity to get to know Dorothy, we know that your heart holds great memories of her. Simply put, “the world needs more Dorothy Soares.”

In lieu of flowers please donate in Dorothy’s name to: Pass Creek Community Center, c/o Kelly Callentine, 3691 Flathead Pass Rd., Belgrade, MT 59714 or Divine Mercy Academy, 601 W. Cameron Ave., Belgrade, MT 59714.