Dorothea Marie (Lemke) Hock, devoted wife, mother and oma, passed into eternal rest on Sunday, January 21 at the age of 89. She was the widow of Douglas Hock, with whom she shared 47 years of marriage prior to his passing in 2004.

Born in Schwetz, Germany, Dorothea was the daughter of Willie Lemke and Margarete (Zimmermann) Lemke. Following her father's passing, her mother remarried Paul Mueller, who became Dorothea's stepfather. Following World War II, Dorothea immigrated with her family to Mauch Chunk (now Jim Thorpe) Pennsylvania in 1950, graduating from Mauch Chunk High School in 1953. Afterward, she completed coursework and worked for Sears as a comptometer operator in Allentown, where she met her future husband. Dorothea and Douglas married in 1958 and had three children: Elizabeth, Heidi and Robert.

Douglas and Dorothea built a home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in which she continued to live until her death. She was a domestic engineer for most of her life, and supported her husband at his company, D.W. Hock Industrial Sales, after it opened in the 1980s. An avid gardener, baker, needleworker, conversationalist and reader, Dorothea loved to complete crossword puzzles and spend time with her family at their pool. She continued the traditions of her German heritage with her children and grandchildren, making traditional German desserts, setting out the traditional advent kranz, and gathering on Christmas Eve for celebrations. Dorothea exuded resilience, bravery and strength. She was everything anyone could wish to have in a mother and a grandmother.

Dorothea is survived by her sisters Brunhilde Gnall, wife of Edward Gnall, and Gertraud Klemp, widow of Heinz Klemp; her three children, daughters Elizabeth Frack, widow of Sterling Frack, Heidi Focht, wife of Eugene Focht, and her son Robert Hock and his wife Sherry; by her eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and her nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends. She is predeceased by her husband, Douglas Hock.

Dorothea's life will be celebrated at Pearson Funeral Home, 1901 Linden Street, Bethlehem, on Wednesday, January 24 and Thursday, January 25. Visitation hours will be open on Wednesday, January 24, between 7-8:30 p.m. EST. Funeral services will occur on Thursday, January 25 at 11:00 a.m. EST.

In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations be made to your local food bank, an activity Dorothea did throughout her life.