Dorthy Zupancich-Meeker

Dorthy Zupancich Meeker of Madison passed away on May 24, 2020 at Ingleside Assisted Living in Mount Horeb.  She was 99.

Dorthy was born on May 14, 1921 in Oak Park, Illinois to Josef and Azana (Brasseaux) Zupancich of Chicago.  In her senior year at John Marshall High School, Dorthy won a city-wide competition for a full scholarship to The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  She attended the Art Institute from 1939 to 1944.

Dorthy married Dean Jackson Meeker, a fellow student at the Art Institute, on July 27, 1942 in Billings, Montana.

In 1944 Dorthy worked at La Salle Design Company in Chicago, drawing final blueprints for airplane components and designing a pressure cooker manufactured by Mirro Cookware.  In 1945 Dorthy worked for Mandel Brothers Department Store as a fashion and layout artist.

Dorthy and Dean moved to Madison in 1946.  Thereafter, Dorthy did freelance illustration for a wide variety of clients locally and regionally, including W.J. Rendall's, the Wisconsin State Journal, the State Historical Society and Abbott Laboratories.  Between 1958 and 1968, Dorthy designed and illustrated over 120 covers for Madison-based Progressive magazine.  She also illustrated two books, "Sideroads: Excursions into Wisconsin's Past," (1949), published by The State Historical Society of Wisconsin, and "The Behavior of Man: An Introduction to Psychology," (1958), published by Henry Holt & Company, Inc.

From 1968 through 1971 Dorthy designed sets for the Wisconsin Ballet Company, including its 1968 production of "The Nutcracker."

From 1971 to 1976, Dorthy taught figure drawing at the Madison Art Center.  In 1973 she was a lecturer in the Dance Department at the University of Wisconsin.

Dorthy is survived by her five children, Stephanie Meeker Sanna (Anthony) of Madison, Gregory Meeker (Trish) of Mount Horeb, Darcy Meeker (Tim Nolan) of New York City, Jodi Meeker Burton (John) of Portland, Oregon and Elijah Dean Meeker of St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, and by her grandchildren, Gabriel Sanna (Teresa Rosado), Joe, Laura and Jackson Meeker, Lillian Grace Parker Nolan, Julian Robinson, Josef and Jamie Burton and Adam Meeker.

Dorthy was a lifelong student of the arts, anthropology, archaeology, theology and popular culture.  She took delight in her physical surroundings.  During her last years she often remarked, "There is no one's life that I would rather have lived."  Dorthy loved her husband, her children and her grandchildren.  She gave them all that she had to give.

Dorthy's family thanks Kris and her staff at Ingleside Assisted Living as well as Mark and the entire staff of Agrace Hospice for the compassionate and attentive care they provided to Dorthy.