Lessons learned from Mom: You can never have too many cats. Only boring people get bored. Recycle. If you don't know the answer, look it up. Be kind to every creature. Always make a shopping list. Leave the campground better than you found it. Carousels and bluebirds are magical. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. People matter more than things. Plant a garden. Frodo may have been the star, but Sam was the hero. Don't call during Wheel of Fortune. Always have faith. Decorate with real tombstones on Halloween. When you find jeans that fit, buy three pairs. Don't worry: It will all work out. Doris Jean Brinkerhoff DeFord, 78, was born January 20, 1939, in St. Anthony, ID, to Jesse and Elva Brinkerhoff. The family moved to Richland in 1944 when her father began work at Camp Hanford, and Doris attended Columbia High School with the class of 1957. She eloped with her high school sweetheart, Dennis DeFord, and they enjoyed 59 years together before his death in 2016. Doris devoted her life to her family. She raised six children, opened her home to their many friends, and then took in grandchildren. She read dozens of books to her young children and volunteered with Team Read in the Kennewick schools. An intelligent and excellent student herself, Doris raised children who didn't realize college was optional until it was too late and they had graduated. She enjoyed traveling with her husband as missionaries, family history researchers, and tourists across the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Europe. As a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she was happiest in callings that let her serve alongside Dennis: together they ran the Vilnius Lithuania Mission office, managed the Tri-Cities regional cannery, served in the Columbia River Temple, and organized the best 4th of July celebrations Kennewick 1st Ward ever saw. Doris enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, the Jumble, event planning, and other organizational challenges. She also enjoyed reading and sewing. She loved her cats and was fond of her husband's dogs. She collected bluebirds and carousel horses. She always remembered everyone's names. Doris passed away peacefully at home in Kennewick on January 6, 2018, from Alzheimer's Disease. She was predeceased by her husband Dennis, her parents, her brother Jesse Reed and sister Virginia Sweetland, and her grandson Ian Crawford. She is survived by her children Debbie Johnson (Jamie), Dennis DeFord (Sally), Dave DeFord (Shirley), Doug DeFord (Susan), Don DeFord (Franci), and Diane Lambert (Stephen); 33 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; brothers Ken Brinkerhoff (Nancy), Richard Brinkerhoff (Dorothy), and Keith Brinkerhoff (Lorraine); many nieces and nephews; two cats and two dogs. The family would like to thank Visiting Angels and Chaplaincy Hospice for their loving care. A funeral service will be held at Hillcrest Memorial Center, 9353 W Clearwater Ave, Kennewick, at 1:00 pm on Saturday, January 13, 2018. A graveside service will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Richland. The family invites you to read more about Doris and sign the online guestbook at www.HillcrestMemorialCenter.com.