HINSONS, Doris
Doris "Dot" Pickens Hinson went to be with her Lord and Savior on February 19, 2024, one day after her 95th birthday in Alpharetta, Georgia. A loving and supportive wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Dot's legacy is one of a life well done. She was a lady of impeccable character, strong faith, resourcefulness, and perseverance. She was kind, gracious, and best known for her steady and joyful disposition. She had a love for hospitality and an appreciation for music, art, and creativity, which showed in everything she did. Born in Scottdale, Georgia on February 18, 1929, Dot was the fifth child of Gussie Mae Harris and Willie Alvin Pickens and grew up as the only girl in a family of four rough-and-tumble brothers. She had a love for learning, graduating early from high school at age 16, as salutatorian. Dot earned a college scholarship and graduated at age 19 from Oglethorpe University with Honors, Phi Beta Kappa, with a double major in Music and Humanities. She then became an English and Music teacher at Murphy High School. She met her husband, Jim, at Oglethorpe, and they were married on March 8, 1952, at First Baptist Church of Decatur. They welcomed their daughter Debra Sharon in 1956, daughter Jan Valerie in 1958, and son James Harrison, III in 1960. Dot gave up her full-time teaching job to focus on raising her children while teaching piano students at home. After her children grew up, she enthusiastically spent her time as a volunteer. She served as President of the Freedom Foundation of Valley Forge, an organization founded to teach children our country's founding, constitutional principles. She became a docent for the Tallahassee Supreme Court and Governor's Mansion, teaching school groups about Florida government history. She served as Chairman of the Board of the Tallahassee Symphony and founded the Tallahassee Symphony Society, initiating a Holiday Tour of Homes as an annual fundraiser. Dot regularly performed with the Tallahassee Symphony Chorus, including a special concert at the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York. She joined the Tallahassee Woman's Club and chaired the Grounds Committee, initiating a fundraising campaign to completely re-landscape the grounds. She also served as Vice-Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Council of Volunteer Reading Tutors. With Dot's can-do spirit and chairman-of-the-board approach to her work, she was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Women of Tallahassee. Dot was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Atlanta for 25 years, serving as Choir Director and the principal soprano soloist. After relocating to Florida, she became a member of First Baptist Church of Tallahassee for 36 years and was devoted to the Empty Nester Sunday School Class and her Ladies Bible Study. For the past two years, Dot enjoyed being a member of Alpharetta First Baptist Church and the Hope Sunday School Class. Dot's interests included classical music, theater, gardening, art, fashion, politics, and shopping. Dot is survived by her three children, to whom she gave her unending love and support: daughter, Debra (Deb) Clymer and husband, David Clymer; daughter, Jan Hinson; and son James (Jay) Harrison Hinson, III. She was "G-Mommy" to 8 grandchildren: Kimberly Tucker and husband Clint Tucker, Will Pitts and wife, Emily Pitts, Courtney Goodrich and husband, Dave Goodrich, Jeffrey Caughey, Jordan Caughey and wife, Charity Caughey, Hannah Clymer Thompson and husband, Cameron Thompson, Harrison Clymer and wife, Courtney Clymer, and Reid Clymer and wife Lauren Clymer; and 13 great-grandchildren: Haley, Claire and Audrey Tucker, Brittan and Will Pitts, Austin, Aiden and Asher Goodrich, James Caughey, Lila and Hunt Clymer, and James and Ashton Clymer. Dot was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 70 years, Dr. James H. Hinson, Jr.; mother, Gussie Mae Harris Pickens; father, Willie Alvin Pickens; brother, Ralph Pickens and wife, Zola Pickens; brother, Howard Pickens and wife, Gladys Pickens; older infant sister, Viola Beatrice Pickens; brother, Floyd Pickens and wife, Margie Pickens; and brother, James Pickens and wife, Melba Pickens. A Celebration of Life service will be held for Dot at 10:00 AM on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the Perimeter Church, Cecil B. Day Chapel, 9500 Medlock Bridge Road, Johns Creek, GA 30024. Visitation with the family will be held at the church at 9:15 AM preceding the service and briefly after the service. A brief Burial Service will be held the same day at the Georgia National Cemetery, 1080 Scott Hudgens Dr., Canton, GA 30114, at 1:30 PM.
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