To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Obituary
Dorothy Jean Graves Salhany passed away peacefully on Tuesday evening, June 23, 2026, at the age of 98. Born on October 24, 1927, in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, Dorothy was the youngest child of Pastor Cecil Frank Graves and his wife, Lucile Whiteneck Graves. Her early years were spent on Tripp Road, just north of what is now NHC Scott, where she cherished memories of family life in rural Tennessee.
Dorothy’s upbringing was guided by the values of service and faith, modeled by her father, a longtime Seventh-day Adventist pastor in Lawrence County. These values shaped her life’s work and passions. Determined to become a teacher, she attended Southern Missionary College in Collegedale, Tennessee, graduating on June 5, 1949, with credentials in the Elementary Teacher Training Curriculum.
On June 5, 1950, Dorothy married P. J. Salhany, a newly graduated gospel minister, and together they embarked on a life of ministry and adventure. Their early years as a couple were spent in evangelistic service across Alabama and Kentucky. Their family soon grew with the arrivals of their two sons, Wayne Fremont in 1952 and Edwin Alan in 1954.
In 1960, Dorothy and her family set sail from New York to Beira on the coast of Africa, beginning several years of missionary work in Nyasaland (now Malawi). Dorothy embraced the opportunities and challenges of life abroad, ultimately journeying to many countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and even Australia. Her lifelong curiosity and zest for travel enriched those around her, broadening perspectives and nurturing a strong, close-knit family.
Dorothy's life was marked by devotion to both her immediate and extended family. Preceded in death by her husband, parents, and her two brothers, Sanford Graves and Otis Graves, Dorothy is survived by her sons, Wayne Fremont and Edwin Alan, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. She was beloved across generations, with her larger family including in-laws and stepchildren.
A service of remembrance and reflection honoring Dorothy’s long and well-lived life will be held at 3:00 pm on August 15, 2026, at the Lawrenceburg Seventh-day Adventist Church on Buffalo Road in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Friends and family are invited to gather in celebrating her legacy and remembering a remarkable woman who touched many lives through her kindness, faith, and spirit of adventure.
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Together, let us continue the legacy of compassion and kindness that Dorothy embodied throughout their life.
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