Dopson

Amelia “Mimi” Janssen Dopson, 78, of Alpine, passed away on July 30, 2020 from complications of Parkinson’s disease at the Center for Compassionate Care in El Paso.

No service is planned due to the coronavirus.

Mimi was born in La Grange to Delvin and Margie Janssen on Nov. 10, 1941. She attended La Grange High School, where she was an honor graduate, FFA and football sweetheart, and drum major for the La Grange High School band, among many other honors. In 1964, she graduated from the University of Texas with an undergraduate degree in English, earning Phi Beta Kappa honors and serving as feature twirler for the Longhorn Band. Years later, as her children entered grade school, she received her Masters in Communication, also from University of Texas at Austin.

Mimi married Dr. Robert N. Dopson, III, on 28 June 1964 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in La Grange, then moved to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, where Dr. Dopson served as a dentist. They started a private dental practice in Austin in 1966. Mimi was the office manager for the last 20 years of their 30 year-long dental practice. During these years, the Dopsons were passionate about tennis, and Mimi and her daughter, Diana, won a mother-daughter USTA national tournament together.

When she and Robert retired from their dental practice, they moved to Alpine, Texas, where they became successful potters. Mimi dedicated these years of her life to bringing beauty and art into the world. Mimi was a true fighter, and gracefully handled 16 years of Parkinson’s disease with the devoted help of her husband. She always was looking forward to the next adventure and never dwelled in the past. She and Robert loved to travel, and their trips almost always had a pottery theme as they searched out master potters in Japan, Tuscany and Canada with whom to study.

She is survived by her loving husband, Robert; daughter, Diana Dopson of Austin; son, Richard Dopson and his wife Alexis, and children Milla, Will, and Ryan of Dallas; son, William and his wife Jennifer, and children Olivia and Emily of Houston; sister, Margaret Donaldson and her husband John of Georgetown; sister, Joanie Nietsche and her husband Bennie of Austin; brother, John Janssen and his wife Michelle of Dallas.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff of therapists, nurses and physicians at Premier Specialty Hospital of El Paso, especially Dr. Saurabh Kandpal and therapists Nadia Flores and Dorian Padilla. Our thanks to Dr. Laura Francis Howerton of El Paso, and Dr. Abdul Kadir of Odessa. Additional heartfelt thanks to the physicians, nurses and staff at Nazareth Living Center of El Paso, University Medical Center of El Paso, Las Palmas Hospital of El Paso, the Center for Compassionate Care of El Paso, therapist Laura Snodgrass of Alpine and nurse Becky Galindo of Presidio.

Memorials may be given to KRTS Public Radio in Marfa, Texas.