Passed away in Montecito on May 1, 2013.
Dorcas Eloise Marohn was born on February 13, 1919 in Mount Pulaski, Illinois, to Lutheran minister Alfonse Marohn and his wife Anna. She won a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati, graduating second in her class in 1941. She was president of her junior class, vice president of her senior class, on the Mortar Board, and Phi Beta Kappa.
In 1943 Dorcas married Emery Ellis Bellonby also a U. C. graduate. The couple had three children, one of whom, James E. (“Jeb”), died overseas while still an infant. The other two are Chris Barbara and Mark Peter.
The family lived in many places during Ellis’ army career, including Teheran, Southern California, Berlin, Tokyo, Oklahoma, and the Washington, D.C. area. Dorcas was a great help to Colonel Bellonby with respect to his army intelligence social obligations and spoke German, French and Russian. She was a capable artist, and an expert seamstress. She designed and made clothing for her children over the years.
After Ellis passed away of cancer in 1975, Dorcas moved to Santa Barbara, California. She was a realtor and became very involved with the arts community. In 1979 she married widower Theodore Hatlen, a professor who had founded the Speech and Drama department at UCSB.
Dorcas and Ted went on many trips around the world and lived for many years at Casa Dorinda in Montecito. Ted was 100 when he died in 2011. Both were mainstays of the Santa Barbara Art Museum, organizing fund raisers and helping setup gala events. Dorcas particularly enjoyed making collages, and exhibited in various gallery shows.
Dorcas leaves behind her daughter, Chris Perry, son Mark Bellonby, grand daughters Laura Desta, Diana Bellonby, Juliana Bellonby, grandson Brian Perry, and great grand daughter Natalie Desta.
Memorial services will be private. Dorcas will be buried next to Emery Bellonby and son James in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
