Dorothy Jean "Dee" Estep

Dorothy Jean “Dee” Estep, RN, BSN (Ret.) On a cold, windy, cloudy May 22, 1928, the fifth and youngest child, Dee, (given name Dorothy), was born to John and Edna Grover in Flint, Michigan. After moving from Michigan to Missouri at age 5, Dee spent her formative years in St. Louis, Missouri and surrounding cities as well as one year in Centralia, Illinois. She would spend many summers on her Uncle Clarence’s farm in Thomas County, Kansas where she bottle fed baby lambs and helped with chores around the farm. Because of the generosity of her Uncle Clarence, who paid her tuition, she was able to attend St. Luke’s School of Nursing in St. Louis. Dee enjoyed great success as a student nurse, becoming the class president in both her sophomore and senior years. Approximately 20 years after graduating from St. Luke’s she received her BSN from St. Francis College located in Joliet, Illinois. Her career in nursing was equally successful. Her first job out of school was being the charge nurse for a 60-bed floor at Rose Memorial Hospital in Denver, CO. After spending a little over a year in Colorado, she moved to California for twelve years, and finally relocated to Kansas, where she worked as an office nurse for psychiatrist Tom Fender, MD, and then for family practice physician Jack Phipps, MD. She married Noel Estep in 1974 and worked for a while as a substitute nurse. She elected not to renew her Kansas nursing license in 1998. Dee enjoyed being a wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and trusted friend. She also enjoyed traveling, reading medical journals, hosting fabulous dinners for family, friends, and business guests, and discussing current events. Although she spent the last few years battling health issues, she always was willing to give the nurses who cared for her nursing hints and tips. On a cold, windy, cloudy December 17, 2022, Dee left the bonds of earth and went to the promise of heaven. Preceding Dee in death was her mother Edna Grover-1956, father John, Sr.-1981; sister Helen Grover-1918, sister Naomi “Nan” Holder-2007, sister Lula “Lu” Brown-2009; brother John, Jr.-2010; husband Noel Estep-2010, and nephew Mark Holder-2017. Survived by her sons, Michael (Linda Lombard) Conrey, Kyle (Nancy) Estep, both of Wichita; nephews, Chris N. (Sara) Brown of Marana, AZ, Greg Brown of Albuquerque, NM, John M. (Margo) Grover III of Wichita; nieces, Victoria (Marc) Cavit of Lyons, KS, Valerie (Jim) Whitcomb of Bend, OR, Janice Holder of North Carolina; grandchildren, Quincy, Carter, and Elizabeth Jo Estep. A memorial has been established with: Good Shepherd Hospice, 7829 E. Rockhill St. #403, Wichita, KS 67206. A special thank you to nurse, Lauren Coppel.