Dorothy "Dee Dee" Works Machen

Dorothy “Dee Dee” Works Machen, 91, was born on January 13, 1933 and passed away on October 22, 2024.

She was a devoted wife to her husband, Robert B. “Bob” Machen for over 68 years, who survived her. She is also survived by two sons, Lasley “Laz” S. Machen of West Monroe, LA and Mark R. Machen (Patti) of Fairfax, VA; as well as six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren, Keeley (David) Schares and their two children, Dottie and Hank, of St. Louis, MO; Marinn (Jimmy) Conklin of Fairfax, VA; Hailey (Michael) Judge and their child, Avery of Fairfax, VA; William (Sarah) Machen of Goldsboro, NC; Joshua (Mackenzie) Machen of West Monroe, LA; and Nic Machen of West Monroe, LA.

Dee Dee was born and raised in West Monroe, LA and then attended and graduated from Northeast Louisiana University where she met Bob. They married on February 24, 1956, and then Bob entered the Army which took Dee Dee on a military journey as a loving and caring military spouse. Dee Dee traveled overseas and, in the U.S., raising their two sons and established a career herself as a legal secretary for a patent attorney, and finished her career at age 72, as an office manager for a large patent law firm.

Throughout their marriage, Dee Dee supported Bob dutifully and without question. Her passion and excellence were in the kitchen as well as putting on the ritz for a dinner party or hosting gatherings. The dining room table was always set to perfection with all the utensils, and various plates and glassware lined up as if the President were coming for dinner; and always with a seasonal centerpiece.

Dee Dee loved to play games and incorporated them into dinner parties and gatherings, especially around Mardi Gras where she kept the New Orleans vibes alive as she never wanted to lose her Louisiana roots; and with her cooking as well when she was “a fixin” to make jambalaya, gumbo, shrimp creole or fried chicken in a skillet. Dee Dee was the best dressed grandmother out there wherever she went as she was always ‘styling’ when she went out, according to her granddaughters.

Dee Dee will be missed for her love, affection, caring soul, loving smile and even her famous one-liners that made us all laugh. She loved enjoying a cup of coffee or glass of wine with friends and family on anyone’s front porch or her balcony overlooking Washington DC, all cherishing the moments sharing stories with each other or just watching the world go by together. While Dee Dee’s hearing waned the last few years, her courage to thrive and give you a warm and loving smile never failed as she was the epitome of a loving mother and grandmother. She always reminded us that her cousin, Jimmy Davis, wrote and sang “You Are My Sunshine” and she will always be our sunshine and we will never forget her in our hearts.

A memorial service for family will be held at 10:00 A.M., Friday, January 31, 2025, at the Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Rayville, LA. The visitation will follow from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. at Calvert Crossing Golf Club, 515 Hodge Watson Road, Calhoun, LA.