Dorothy (Mills) Johnson Woodcox

Dorothy Mills Johnson Woodcox

1952 ~ 2026

Dorothy Woodcox, our sweet and loving mother, grandmother, sister and friend, peacefully passed away at the age of 73 on April 9, 2026.

She was born on May 3, 1952, in American Fork, Utah, as the second child of her loving parents, Donald H. Mills and Ada Taft Mills. Dorothy grew up in American Fork and graduated from American Fork High School in 1970 where she was a member of the American Fork Marching Band. Her Senior year in high school was a difficult time for her as her dear mother was dying of cancer and died a month after graduation.

During the summer of 1969 and 1970, Dorothy had the opportunity to work at the Blue Diamond Dude Ranch in the Grand Teton National Park. She lived with five other girls in a little cabin with a pot-belly stove, and had to clean her clothes in a wringer-washer. She cleaned the cabins for the guests and played the piano in the evening during their dinner. In Jackson Hole one evening, after hitch-hiking from the Dude Ranch, she met Kenneth Dale Johnson. At the end of the summer, Ken took Dorothy home to American Fork and decided to move to American Fork as well. They spent the rest of that summer dating and Ken was drafted into the Army.

After graduation, Dorothy moved to Salt Lake City and attended the LDS Business College to complete the 2-year course for an executive secretary. After one year of college, she accepted Ken’s proposal and they were married on June 20, 1971. Ken and Dorothy started their family with the birth of Jeremy Donald Johnson on May 19,1972, and then their daughter, Jaime Lynn Johnson was born on June 8, 1976. Dorothy and Ken later divorced and she married Ronald R. Woodcox on June 24, 1978. They later divorced, but still remained good friends until his death on January 15, 1996.

Dorothy had always wanted to be a secretary and with her skills was able to find employment easily. She worked as a bank teller in Alaska, as a secretary at the Veteran’s hospital in Salt Lake City, and a law office, she was trained as a legal assistant. She also worked five years in a real estate office. In 1981, she went back into the legal field and started working for Harding & Associates in American Fork. She worked for that same office for 45 years.

Dorothy was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She served in the Primary, Young Woman’s Organization, and taught Relief Society for many years. She also served in several Relief Society presidencies, including the Stake Relief Society Presidency, that she loved. She also served as an ordinance worker in the Mt Timpanogos Temple for 17 years.

Dorothy always loved music, from playing the piano all of her growing-up years, to playing the saxophone in the American Fork Concert and Marching Bands. She also sang with the Timpanogos Chorale in American Fork for many years. She was excited to travel twice with the chorale to Washington D.C. on Memorial Day to sing with other choirs from around the country at the Kennedy Center for the Arts. Singing patriotic songs in that beautiful venue with the United States Army Band, was a highlight for Dorothy. She also enjoyed the Christmas Concerts performed on Temple Square each year.

Dorothy was fiercely loyal to her family and her greatest joys in life were her children and five grandchildren. She loved the “Grandma Dates” she went on individually with each grandchild two times a year as they were growing up. They made life-long memories on those dates. She loved spending time with them, attending their school functions, dance recitals, football games, etc. She also spent hours and hours making scrapbooks for each grandchild of the time they spent together.

She loved her old pioneer home and took great pride in remodeling and restoring the old home. It was a home filled with love and peace. When she was not working at the office, or in her yard, she loved to read and crochet. She crocheted for family members and was well-known for the baby blankets she crocheted and donated to the ward for new babies and hospitals in the area. Later in her life she also wrote her parents’ histories for her family as they had never met her wonderful mother and she wanted them to know their Grandma Ada and Great Grandma Ada. It was a labor of love and a great accomplishment.

Dorothy is survived by her wonderful children and their spouses, Jeremy Donald (Joanna) Johnson and Jaime Lynn (Cameron) Bria, and grandchildren: Tyler Kenneth Johnson, Angelina Ada Bria, Maximus Colby Johnson, Nicholas Dean Johnson, and Zachary Cameron Bria.

Though she has passed, her warmth and love will remain. The happy memories we have of the good time spent with her will live on. The family thanks all the nurses and medical professionals who provided such kind care for Dorothy at the end of her life.

We invite friends to join us for the Funeral service for Dorothy that will be held on April 15, 2026 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel located at, 455 East 300 North American Fork, Utah. A viewing will be held from 9:30 – 10:30 am prior to the funeral service. Internment and dedication of the grave will be at the Timpanogos Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Orem, Utah, following the services.

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