Dorothy Ann (Conner) Pontsler

Dorothy Ann (Conner) Pontsler died April 11. She was 87.

Pontsler was born on March 9, 1932, in Spokane, Washington. As a young girl, she lived in Grand Coulee Dam, Washington, was a member of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, sang and began a lifelong hobby of stamp collecting. She attended Grand Coulee Dam High School, graduating in 1950. Pontsler also became a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.

She married Billy, the love of her life, on March 25, 1951, and was married 66 years. Pontsler attended Washington State College in Cheney, Washington, receiving an associate degree in Business Administration. Soon after, she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico and worked at Sandia National Laboratory. She worked as a civilian employee for the U.S. Army at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, when Billy was drafted for two years during the Korean War

They returned to Albuquerque until they were transferred to Livermore in 1956. Pontsler went to work for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory until starting a family in 1958. She was a homemaker until going back to work at LLNL in 1978 and retiring in 1989.

Her husband, Billy Dean Pontsler, preceded her in death on May 24, 2017. He would have been 91 on Dec. 15, 2018. She is survived by her daughters, Deann Yanes and husband Gary of Brentwood, and Valarie Pontsler of Livermore; granddaughter, Ashley Shockley and husband Paul of Clovis, California; and great-grandchildren, Paul, Ryder, Kaylee, Steven, Seth and Kole.

A celebration of life is being held for both her and her husband on May 4, 2019 at the Brentwood Community United Methodist Church, 809 Second St., Brentwood at 1 p.m. If you wish to make a donation in their names, please give to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.