Dorothy Hanlin, 62, Made Time To Act, Sing, Raise A Big Family

Dorothy May Hanlin somehow found the time to sing in choirs and musical productions, participate in local theater groups, appear in television commercials and raise eight children.

"She seemed to find the time for her kids and her other activities as well," said Suzanne Conrad, a longtime friend.

"She had a wonderful spirit. Nothing seemed to stop her. She loved the theater and music and her family," Conrad said.

Mrs. Hanlin, 62, who also appeared in two episodes of the television hit, Northern Exposure, which is filmed in Roslyn, Kittitas County, died Monday of a massive blood clot in her lungs, family members said.

Born in Seattle, Mrs. Hanlin graduated from Immaculate High School, a Catholic school since closed. That ended her education for many years, but after her children were raised, Mrs. Hanlin went back to school, graduating from Seattle University in 1978.

But it was Mrs. Hanlin's love of theater and singing that consumed most of her time away from her family.

"She always had a love of theater," according to her daughter Patty Hanlin, of Denver.

Even though she had many outside interests, Mrs. Hanlin never neglected her family. "We came first," Patty Hanlin said of her mother's activities. "She was really happy, really jolly and forever singing. . . . She was always thinking of others, putting herself last."

Another daughter, Monica Hanlin, a Bellevue resident, said her mother worked her way into acting and singing by performing for the USO, an organization that entertains U.S. servicemen.

Mrs. Hanlin, who sang contralto, began singing in various choirs and always sang in her church choir when the family was living on Beacon Hill. When they moved to the Shoreline area, Mrs. Hanlin joined the choir at St. Luke's Catholic Church, where she sang for 23 years.

She landed jobs in several television commercials. One was for Washington Natural Gas that ran for about a year three years ago.

She also appeared in musical productions at ACT, the Bathhouse Theater and the Seattle Opera, among others. She was associated with the Evergreen Theater Conservatory, Civic Light Opera, the Choir of the Sound, all of Seattle, and the Driftwood Players in Edmonds.

Besides Patty and Monica, Mrs. Hanlin is survived by her husband, Bill, and other children, Bill Jr. and his wife, Elizabeth of Edmonds; Valerie and her husband, Tom Tebow of Shelton; Terry Hanlin, Seattle; Dick and his wife, Vonnie Hanlin of Anchorage; Charlie Hanlin of Olympia; and Brian and his wife, Anay Hanlin of Seattle; sisters, Louise Christenson and Kathy Taylor, both of Seattle, and eight grandchildren.

A viewing will be held tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Beck's Funeral Home in Edmonds, to be followed by a vigil service at 7:30 p.m. at St. Luke's Catholic Church. Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Luke's. Burial will be in Holyrood Cemetery, with a lunch to follow at the auditorium at St. Luke's.

Remembrances are suggested to the Union Gospel Mission in Seattle.