Dorris Bjorset Duffy

The world lost an amazing woman on October 17, 2016. Dorris Bjorset Duffy was born on February 25, 1925, in Cottage Grove, Ore. When she was 16, she left home to attend the Emily Johnson Duffy Ranch School in Fallbrook. She may have made the decision based on the fact that, in her words, “we could ride horses and wear shorts to class,” but it changed her life forever as she and the son of the headmistress fell in love and married in 1943. Jack and Dorris Duffy celebrated 70 years of marriage before his death in 2013.

When health reasons led Jack, Dorris, and son Tim to move to their daughter’s home in Bonsall, it was like coming full circle. Dorris reconnected with members of the Fallbrook Historical Society, some of whom had connections with the Duffy Ranch School. She was delighted to see the exhibit at the museum, which includes photos donated by Jack and Dorris.

She and her daughter discovered the Daughters of Norway, and in May they were both initiated into the Hulda Garborg Lodge in Fallbrook. Dorris’s father Georg Bjorset emigrated from Norway as a young man. She had such joy attending a few meetings as well as the 17th of May celebration at the Sons of Norway lodge. Her family will never forget the warm welcomes extended by members of both the Historical Society and the Daughters of Norway, nor the pure happiness Dorris experienced in their midst.

Dorris and Jack lived over 60 years in their home in San Diego (Clairemont), where they raised their four children. Dorris was a second mother to many of their children’s friends, and the Duffy house was always full of laughter and love. During that time, they made many lasting friendships in the neighborhood, and a day didn’t go by without Dorris remembering those who had gone before her.

She loved to travel, and she and Jack were fortunate to travel extensively. Her favorite international destinations were Norway and Paris, but she also relished the cruises they were able to take, especially to Alaska and the Panama Canal. They attended numerous WWII Air Force reunions over the years, and Dorris made friends at each one. Dorris loved the ocean, and watching the pelicans from her favorite hotel in Laguna Beach was a treat. Dorris also loved fashion and clothes, and she never worried about what a 91-year-old “should” wear. She enjoyed long conversations with her sister about the latest styles, and her son-in-law learned quickly not to discard any fashion magazines or advertisements.

She looked forward to visits and phone calls from her sons Patrick and Daniel. Dorris also loved visiting with her sister Sara and her nieces Sally, Sue, and Anne and their families. Above all, Dorris loved spending time with her beloved grandsons Matt and Ben. She watched as many of their sporting events and plays that she could get to, went on cruises with them, visited them in college, played cribbage with them, and woke up each morning hoping to see them or talk to them. Many of their friends called her Grandma Duffy or Grammy, and she welcomed each of them into her life.