Dorothy Viklund

DOROTHY ANN STARNES BUCKINGHAM VIKLUND On Wednesday, October 26th, Dorothy (Dot) Viklund passed away in Taos, New Mexico. She had just turned 94. Born on October 6, 1928, to Arthur and Mary Starnes in Baileyton, TN. She is survived by her two children, Linda Buckingham (Stephen D. Cetrulo), Richard Buckingham, her daughter in law, Denise Buckingham Johnston, her stepchildren, Beverly Parrigian (Gary), Greta Jarvis (Mike), Ingrid Viklund, Sonja Foster (Stu), and Lars Viklund (Kelly). She leaves several grandchildren, great grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

Dorothy grew up in Baileyton attending the school across the street from the Starnesʼ home and continued on to Tusculum College in Greeneville, TN earning her Bachelorʼs Degree. From there she was off to Washington, D.C. where she was a secretary on a then, top secret project at the Pentagon. She met her first husband, Richard C. Buckingham and moved to Connecticut, where they raised their two children. After she was widowed, Dot eventually followed her passion for dancing and won many a contest with the Arthur Murray dance studio Always looking for adventure, Dot moved to New Mexico and worked at Kirtland Air Force base. Within a few years she was transferred to a Quality Control position in Los Angeles, CA where she met her second husband, Rojdon Viklund, on a Parents without Partners trip to Las Vegas, NV. Over their 32 years of marriage, Dots and Rojdon traveled the world to every continent except Antarctica. Upon Rojdonʼs passing Dots returned to New Mexico to be near family, enjoying rides around town and always stopping for a cappuccino.

Dorothy is preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Mary Ward Starnes, her nine siblings as well as her husbands, Richard Buckingham and Rojdon Viklund. Dorothy (Dot, Dots, Dottie) brought her kind and welcoming spirit with her wherever she lived or travelled. She will be missed by family and friends from coast to coast.

Arrangements by Rivera Family Funeral Home. To share a memory, please visit our website at www.riverafuneralhome.com