Reverend Dr. Laurence Timothy "Tim" Doty

October 28, 1945 ~ February 22, 202579 Years Old

Laurence Timothy “Tim” Doty, of Galva, IL, passed away surrounded by his loving family, at his home, on Saturday, February 22, 2025.  A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at First Congregational Church, 319 S. State St., Geneseo, IL, 61254.  Pastor Linda Hunsaker and Pastor Barry Wynveen will officiate.  Visitations will be held from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Vandemore Funeral Homes & Crematory – Geneseo Chapel and from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at First Congregational Church.  Memorials may be directed to the Tim Doty Memorial Fund which will be dispersed amongst his favorite charities.

Reverend Tim Doty was born on October 28, 1945, in Independence, Missouri, to Walter Alan and Grace Virginia (Hodges) Doty. He graduated from William Chrisman High School in Independence before pursuing higher education at Harvard University, where he attended seminary. He later earned his Ph.D. from Yale University.  Tim married Cecile Cogswell in Houston, TX, in 1967.  She passed away in 1991, in Independence, MO.  He later married Kathy Goranson on May 16, 2020, at a service held in Galva, IL.  He was a teacher for Hotchkiss Boarding School in Lakeville, CT and Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, NC before beginning his life in the ministries.

Throughout his life, Reverend Doty dedicated himself to ministry, serving as a pastor for several congregations. His pastoral journey included Westminster Presbyterian Church in Independence, Missouri; First Presbyterian Church in Leavenworth, Kansas; and First Presbyterian Church in Middletown, Ohio. He later moved to the Peoria area, where he ministered to several small churches including at First Presbyterian Church in Geneseo for two years. He then led First Presbyterian Church in LeRoy, Illinois, before returning to Geneseo as an interim pastor for an additional five years. Reverend Doty retired from ministry in 2023 after decades of faithful service.

Those left to cherish his memory include his loving wife, Kathy Doty; daughter, Rose (Carr) Vincent of Portland, ME; stepchildren, Wil Cox of Mundelein, IL, Christy (Ed) Hibbs of Athens, IL, Carrie (Christopher) Fleer of Havana, IL, Amanda (Philip) Whitney of Belton, MO, Cassidy Venema of Cleveland, OH, and Will Venema of Cincinnati, OH; grandchildren, James Timothy Vincent, Cecile Voytas, and John Voytas; step-grandchildren, Caleb Fleer, Lauren Fleer, Connor Hibbs, Katherine Cox, Edith Whitney, and Micah Whitney; son-in-law, Rick (Caitlin) Voytas of St. Louis, MO; and siblings, Lynn Elsbury of Independence, MO, Dianne (Jerry) Myhan of Searcy, AR, and Walter Alan Doty of Blue Ridge, GA.

Tim was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Grace Doty; his first wife, Cecile (Cogswell) Doty; and daughter, Grace Voytas.