Dorothy Ann Walters

Dorothy "Dot" Walters, beloved wife and cherished friend, entered into eternal peace and happiness on September 2, 2025 at 8:48 p.m. She was 63 years old.Dot was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in mid-May, facing it with courage and grace. She completed her chemotherapy treatments and had only two radiation treatments remaining when a sudden infection compromised her already weakened immune system. The complications led to lung inflammation that ultimately took her life. Dot leaves behind John Walters, her devoted husband of 42 years, to cherish her memory.Dot and John's love story began in 1978 when they met at a high school dance. John and his best friend Pat Sullivan spotted her on the dance floor boogieing to the Bee Gee's "Night Fever," a song from one of Dot's favorite movies "Saturday Night Fever." John and Pat wagered with one another to determine which of the two of them would ask her to dance, and that's where fate stepped in. John won the wager, and that first dance? It resulted in the two of them becoming not only inseparable high school sweethearts, but lifelong partners. John and Dot married in 1982 while John was still a student at Florida State University.After graduation, the couple moved to Jacksonville, Florida where Dot began her career with First Union Bank. Together, they bought their first home in San Marco - a small bungalow in need of complete renovation. With vision and determination, Dot poured her heart and soul into the project, transforming the house into a beautiful home. She had a remarkable talent for design, and she often fondly reminisced about their time there.In time, Dot and John made their home in Island of Palms near Jacksonville Beach where they lived for 22 years. Surrounded by water and community, they enjoyed boating and it was there that they made many dear and lifelong friends. One day in 2013, they discovered a perfect lot in downtown Saint Augustine. To Dot, it felt like the return to their San Marco beginnings; to John, it was easy access to the water for boating. Dot and John moved into their dream home in April 2024 - grateful, joyful, and excited for the years ahead. Their happiness deepened when their childhood friend Pat Sullivan and his wife Melissa moved just down the street. One evening over cocktails, Pat told John he had a premonition that he was sent here for a reason, perhaps to help John deal with his aging parents. In the end, Pat and Melissa were sent here to help John cope with the loss of his lifelong sweetheart, Dorothy Dot. Pat's premonition is proof of how life's blessings often arrive in unexpected ways.Dot lived much of her life with the challenges of chronic back pain caused by a high school cheerleading accident, but never let it define her. Although a spinal fusion surgery gave her a decade of relief, she dealt with constant pain through the years with remarkable strength.While Dot and John were not blessed with children, she filled their hearts and home with love for their three schnauzers; Bart, Georgia, and Marley. She delighted in caring for them, just as she did for everyone fortunate enough to know her.Dot's final wish was to be remembered with joy at a celebration of life ceremony at their Saint Augustine home. Plans for this gathering will be shared in the coming months.Dot will remembered as a beautiful woman - inside and out - whose warmth, creativity, and enduring love left a mark on all who knew her, especially John. She will be deeply missed by John, her family and friends. May her spirit live on in the countless memories she created, and may she rest in peace.

Dorothy Ann Walters

February 22, 1962 - September 2, 2025