Dolphia Lee Blocker
The heart and soul of the Blocker family has passed away, peacefully and surrounded by children and grandchildren.
Dolphia Lee Parker was born to Verner and Gladys Parker in Shattuck, Oklahoma, just over the Texas line. She grew up living a rural, ranching life in Texas; a childhood she said was idyllic, along with her beloved five siblings. In order to afford Dolphia and her siblings more opportunities, when the elder siblings began high school, their mother and the children began spending the school year in Alpine, Texas, where Dolphia graduated, and then attended Sul Ross State University, where she met her future husband, Dan Davis Blocker.
They married when Dan returned from Korea, in September 1952, and twins, Danna and Debbie, were born in 1953, followed by a son, David, in 1955. Soon thereafter they moved to Hollywood, California so that Dan could pursue his dream of acting. Dan rather quickly began to get acting work, and Dolphia’s work soon got busier as well, with the arrival of a second son, Dirk, in 1957.
Despite the popularity of Dan’s role in “Bonanza”, making normal life difficult, he and Dolphia remained true to the core of their lives: devotion to family and to each other, and to causes like civil rights, peace and justice, which were inextricably part of their household’s culture. Dolphia and the children were devastated by Dan’s unexpected death following surgery in 1972, at the age of 43. Dolphia, at 39, managed to keep the family close through the kids teenage years.
When the kids were grown, she moved to her beloved Santa Barbara where she lived the remaining almost 40 years of her life, traveling, writing wonderful poetry, supporting causes, keeping grandchildren for long stays, and hosting holidays in her home, which was always open and welcoming to all, and filled with food and wine, joy and love. Her children remained close to her, most living in Santa Barbara, drawn there by the truly ineffable, numinous presence she emanated and that was felt by all who met her. While she loved her family unconditionally, she was also a remarkable example of tolerance and acceptance, patience and love for others.
Dolphia was predeceased in death by her sisters, Elaine Caldwell, Marilyn Sullivan and brother, Deryl Parker; she is survived by her sisters Shirley Robinson and Janice Smith. She is also survived by her children and their spouses, five grandchildren and their spouses, and eight great-grandchildren, all of whom cherished her, GD (Grandma Dolph), for all of the above, but also for her humor, fun, great love of life, and unfailing wisdom: As her grandchildren stipulated, years ago, “GD knows all and says all!” The family aches with loss of her, but are grateful for the many years they were blessed to have her, and finds strength in the memories made.
