Obituaries

Doris Adele Dittle

September 23, 1935 - February 28, 2026

Doris Adele Dittle passed away peacefully on February 28, 2026, at the age of 90. She was born Doris Adele Byrd on September 23, 1935, at her family home in the Green Pond, Florida. Adele grew up surrounded by her large family, one of seven children with two sisters and four brothers.

Shortly after her 18th birthday, she married David Dittle in 1953. The two shared 48 years of marriage before David’s passing in May of 2002. Together they built a loving family and a life rooted in dedication to one another and to those around them.

Adele and David moved from Polk City to Lakeland in the early 1960s, where they made their home and raised their family. Adele worked for 25 years at Oscar J. Pope Elementary School as a cafeteria worker. She took pride in her work and enjoyed serving the children of her community. She had a lifelong love of cooking. Adele was especially known among her family for her fried cornbread and collard greens, dishes that became staples at family meals and celebrations. She is survived by her two daughters, Patricia Webb and Karen Hires; her grandchildren, John Dittle (Judy) and Lindsay Tornga (Rory); and her great-grandson, Jacob.

Adele will be remembered for her warmth, her devotion to family, her strong work ethic, and her willingness to take on any task that needed to be done. She showed care and kindness to others in many simple yet meaningful ways throughout her life. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

A memorial, held in Adele’s honor, will be held on Saturday March 7th at 4pm, at the Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall, 1724 E Gary Rd, Lakeland, FL  33801.