Dorothy Vanderpool

Dorothy Marguerite Ward Vanderpool, 86, of Des Moines, passed away on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. She was born on May 9, 1935, in Cold Spring, New York, to Elizabeth (Smith) and Charles Ward.

She grew up in the Hudson Valley area of New York until she moved with her family to Santa Monica, California in her teen years. She met her future husband, Jim Vanderpool, on a blind date. Jim was a Navy sailor and was smitten immediately. They were married in Santa Monica on July 8, 1953.

Upon completion of Jim’s service to the Navy, Dorothy and Jim moved to New York to relocate closer to her family. After the birth of their daughter, they soon settled in Des Moines and made it their home for the remainder of their lives.

Dorothy worked in a variety of accounting positions until the age of 50, when she suddenly found herself without a job due to ageism. With time on her hands, she began to create desserts and share them with acquaintances, which quickly earned her the reputation as a fine pastry chef. From that, Dorothy and Jim began Festive Foods, offering catering services throughout the Des Moines metro area, which provided consistently high-quality foods and service for a variety of occasions to a wide range of clientele.

Dorothy loved catering parties that served national and political dignitaries and consistently relied on her dedicated and beloved “A Team”, which included Tracy, Kay, Kaye and Ruth. They remained life-long friends.

Dorothy and Jim traveled around the world to experience fine dining, meet world renowned chefs, and gather new menu ideas for their catering business. She continually added to her cookbook collection, amassing over 500 cookbooks that she enjoyed and used.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James Vanderpool, her parents, and sister Geraldine Ward Anderson. She is survived by her daughter, Linda Vanderpool, of West Des Moines, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Visitation begins at 10:00 am on Thursday, June 24, 2021, with a memorial service at 11:00 am. Both will be held at Wakonda Christian Church, 3938 Fleur Drive in Des Moines. She will be laid to rest at Masonic Cemetery.

Service Livestream Link: link text

Memorial contributions may be left to the discretion of the family.
On-line condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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