Doris Damm

Doris Damm, 90, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away peacefully on January 10, 2025, after a short illness. When she passed, she was with her husband Roger, her sons Steven and David, and her daughter Diane.

Doris was born on February 7, 1934, in Chicago Illinois, to Philip and Cecelia (Walt) Holmgren, the youngest of seven children. She graduated from Austin High School, Chicago, in 1952. She married Roger Damm on August 19, 1952, in Port Angeles, Washington, and their six children quickly followed. They moved from Illinois to Dallas and finally to Phoenix, their home since 1963.

While Doris usually stayed home when Roger was traveling on business, in 1970 she went with him on a round-the-world, 30-day, 30,000-mile trip that encompassed five continents and dozens of countries. (The kids survived, but the babysitters were another story!)

Doris didn’t get her driver’s license until after all her children were born and never had so much as a speeding ticket her entire life. She was actively involved in Girl Scouts with her daughter Diane, filling the house with boxes of cookies. Their troop went to Washington DC in 1974, partially funded by those cookies. She also hosted many dinner parties, some for bridge, and some for business , and was known for her delicious menus.

She collected stamps, her collection being helped by Roger’s international travels. This could have been a precursor to her coupon collection. Another “hobby” was trips to Las Vegas with her sisters Dorothy and Alice, sometimes resulting in winnings, sometimes not.

In the 70s she began weaving, and actually wove the dress she wore for their 25th anniversary. She won two awards from the Arizona State Fair, one was the Mary Belle Keller award for Best Weaver, and the other was for her very aptly named Never Fail Date and Nut Bread.

Doris enjoyed vacationing with the family in Oak Creek Canyon, then in their cabin on the Mogollon Rim, and then their timeshare in Snowbird, Utah. She also enjoyed escaping the summer heat of Arizona by visiting the Oregon contingent (Kathy, Oliver and David), usually by way of Southern California to visit Doug.

After Roger left Motorola, where he had worked since his mid-twenties, Doris went back to work at SAS Fabrics, using her math skills to do bookkeeping. She hadn’t been in the workforce for over thirty years, yet was able to successfully transition from her homemaker role to the business world.

After both Doris and Roger officially retired, they sold the family home in Phoenix and moved to Ahwatukee Arizona, where they were able to be closer to their son Steven and his family, and their daughter Diane. She helped her granddaughter Lindsay win another Arizona State Fair award, for Best Banana Bread.

Roger and Doris went on many cruises in their “golden years”, enjoying various parts of the world. Their children began visiting them, instead of the other way around, and card games were always part of the routine. But while there were many changes and challenges in her life, Doris’ love for Roger never waivered, nor did his love for her.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents Philip and Cecelia Holmgren, her brothers Philip and George Holmgren, her sisters Cecelia Peiper, Isabell Kalivoda, and Dorothy Holmgren, and her granddaughter Loah Rosales.

She is survived by her husband of 72 years, Roger Damm; her sister Alice Benson; her six children Kathy Henin, Oliver Damm, Doug Damm, Steve Damm, David Tara, and Diane Damm; her five grandchildren Asa Henin, Ryan Damm, Addison Henin, Rose Henin and Lindsay Rij, and her six great-grandchildren Kaiden Rosales, Lucas Rij, Katie Henin, Landon Rij, Amarah Shaffer, and Emily Henin.