When author Robert F. Dorr took his last breath on Sunday, June 12, 2016, not only the writing world but the entire, larger community whispered a final farewell and breathed a sigh of sadness right along with him.
Born in Washington, D.C., in 1939, and raised in both the District and the nearby Maryland suburbs, Dorr was prolific, writing more than eighty books and more than a thousand magazine articles over the course of his distinguished career as an author, journalist and columnist.
His passion for writing came early: In 1955, at the age of 16, he published his first magazine interview, written on the Underwood typewriter he purchased as a newspaper delivery boy – the first purchase he ever made – and from that moment forward, he remained true to his craft, penning articles, writing books and entertaining countless readers with his characteristic quick wit and keen observations.
To the Great Falls creative community, Bob was a source of energy, inspiration and inexhaustible courage. Though suffering from a progressive brain tumor that his own doctors described as “undefeatable” on the day they gave him his terminal diagnosis, Dorr remained undaunted and unafraid, always ready to offer an encouraging word to the legions of local writers who were inspired by his wisdom.
“The thing about writing,” he told the Great Falls Writers Group (GFWG) at an open event only about five weeks before his death, “is that you must make the time for it; you must make it a priority in your daily life.”
Just this past month, GFWG dedicated their annual anthology titled, “Two Minutes,” to Dorr in a special ceremony at the Great Falls Library, which he attended with his entire family. Dorr, a contributing writer to the anthology, which this year focused on the topic of “two minutes,” wrote as part of his entry:
“Time itself has become different and more urgent for me. My life has undergone a change. Two minutes, to me, is precious. I won’t see my grandchildren grow up or learn who will become our forty-fifth president, but I’m having a great time with friends and family …”
His son Bob Porter Dorr remembers his father with warmth, wonder and the utmost respect: “I grew up following my dad around the world during his career as a Foreign Service Officer,” he says.
“He was this larger-than-life guy who seemed to be this amazing mixture of Dalton Trumbo, James Bond and Benny Hill,” says the junior Dorr. “In the office, he was this pinstripe diplomat. At home, he was this slightly disheveled, starving-writer, moonlighting with bourbon and cigarette bouncing to the clickety-clack of the constant, two-finger jabs of his Underwood typewriter.”
The author, who served in the U.S. Air Force and spent 25 years as a senior Foreign Service Officer, was also a well-regarded expert on military aviation, amassing one of the largest private collections of military photographs in the country. His most recent novel, “Crime Scene: Fairfax County,” was released in January. Though typing eventually became impossible, the determined Dorr still managed to write to the very last word, finishing the manuscript with his characteristic grace, grit and good humor.
He is survived by his wife Young Soon Dorr, his sons Lawrence Gerald Dorr III and Robert Porter Dorr, his daughter-in-law Lisa Marie Fritsch, and three young grandchildren, Robert, Sophia and Lily Dorr.