Marie "Doll" Dolores Hyatt

Marie Dolores Hyatt, affectionately known as “Doll” and beloved matriarch of the Hyatt family, passed away peacefully on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, under the devoted and loving care of her granddaughter, Leslie Conklin. She was 94 years old. Her husband Nelson, sister Patricia Pruss, sons Nelson Hyatt and David Hyatt, granddaughter Danielle Hyatt, and grandson Jeffrey Hyatt Arnold predeceased her. She considered them her guardian angels.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, to Irish and Scottish immigrants Marie Patricia O’Rourke and David Cairns, she was the eldest of seven children and played an integral role in caring for her siblings: brothers David Cairns (Evelyn), Michael Cairns (Connie), Denny Cairns (Cathy), Jerry Cairns (Mary), and sister Maureen Campeau. Inspired by her example, all eventually moved from Michigan to Florida.

As a girl, Doll loved riding streetcars with her friends to Tiger Stadium, remaining a lifelong fan of her hometown team. She graduated from Saint Gregory High School at just 16 after skipping a grade and was proud of her role as point guard on her high school basketball team, despite standing just over 5 feet tall. The restrictions placed on girls' basketball at that time—half-court games and mandatory underhand throws—ignited a feisty and feminist spirit she carried throughout her life.

On September 1, 1949, she married Nelson Claude Hyatt. Together, they raised their five children—Nelson, Sharon (Brad), David, Darryl (Tracy), and Vivian (Jeff)—in Northville, Michigan, in a beautiful home renowned for memorable pool parties with extended family. Doll was widely recognized in Northville, serving as President of the Ladies League and the Town Hall Club. She and her community raised thousands of dollars annually for church charities through popular dances, often featuring prominent speakers. She was also instrumental in founding the Emmaus Family Program at Our Lady of Victory Church and sang for many years in the Our Lady of Victory Choir.

In 1972, Doll and Nelson moved to Vero Beach, Florida, where she cherished her life. As an avid Los Angeles Dodgers fan, she attended every spring training game at Dodger Stadium from 1973 until its closure, becoming personally known to many players and coaches. They later sold their grand home on AIA to the Duke of Kent and moved to Sea Oaks before eventually settling at Park Place, built by her husband, in Sebastian.

Doll subscribed to the Vero Beach Press Journal for decades, read numerous daily papers, and was passionate about current events and celebrity gossip. She held remarkable knowledge of American sports, able to recall detailed player statistics from baseball, football, hockey, and basketball. Generous and loving, she treated her daughters and daughters-in-law to memorable trips to New York City, filled with Broadway shows and lavish dinners. Doll, who learned to drive in her 30s, enjoyed dry white wine, only the best champagne, sunbathing poolside with lots of baby oil, and leisurely seafood meals out with family and friends. Her taste in music spanned musicals, big bands, crooners, and live entertainment.

In 1985, Doll and Nelson acquired their vacation home, "The Wee House," in Highlands, North Carolina, enjoying seasonal trips with their children and grandchildren to admire the fall foliage, waterfalls, and mountain views until she suffered a stroke in 2007. She  resided at Grand Harbor Assisted Living and Pelican Landing Assisted Living communities until 2024. Her daughter Vivian lovingly helped manage her day-to-day care and personal affairs during those seventeen years.  Doll spent the final months of her life with her daughter Sharon and granddaughter Leslie in Edinboro, PA. 

Her strength, wit, and enthusiasm for life will be dearly remembered by all who knew her. She leaves behind a legacy of resilience, having overcome numerous life challenges, and is survived by her children Sharon, Darryl, and Vivian, nine grandchildren Sarah, Leslie, Kelsey, Elise, Kathleen, Jessica-Rose, Dolores (Dolly), David, and Monique and seventeen great-grandchildren: Liam, Owen, Kristopher, Ezra, Easton, Isabella, Keirnan, Elijah, Christian, Caitlyn, Morgan, David, Austin, Grace, Nahla Sky, Zenah Rose, Cameryn Marie, and James Bernard Jr. (JJ).

Family meant everything to Doll, evident through the widely attended annual family reunion she and her siblings organized for the past 39 years. A celebration of her life will take place at the 40th Annual David and Marie Cairns Family Reunion at Hobart Park in Vero Beach, Florida, on Easter weekend in 2026. In lieu of flowers, please consider attending a sports game with your family, enjoying a seafood dinner with loved ones, or donating to the League of Women Voters (https://www.lwv.org/) or Pivotal Ventures (https://www.pivotalventures.org), organizations committed to advancing social programs and enhancing women's power and influence.