Rebecca Doty, originally from the Kemper County area, attended Mississippi University for Women. During her time at “The W”, Doty’s roommate Barbara Hannah, who was Joe Doty’s first cousin, introduced the two to one another.
At the time Rebecca was a freshman at "The W" and Joe Doty was a senior at Mississippi State on a band scholarship.
During this time Mississippi State would allow the members of the band to have their girlfriend or boyfriends sit with them during the football game, and this was one of Doty’s favorite things to do with her husband.
“We met, fell in-love and got married that summer,” Rebecca Doty said. “Joe started in fifth grade playing the clarinet.”
Rebecca and Joe Doty’s first date took place at a dance held by Mississippi University for Women. The couple attended other dances through Mississippi State, and this is where their love of dance all started.
Joe Doty, who is a native of Kosciusko, loved the performing arts and being a part of the band in Kosciusko and at Mississippi State. Joe Doty was the only son of Anderson and Mildred Doty of Kosciusko.
After the couple graduated and married, they both enlisted in the army and moved to Mineral Wells, Texas. That following January the couple had their first son Dan Doty and decided to move back to Kosciusko and help Joe’s parents out with their local business Doty’s Furniture Company. The Doty’s operated the furniture store until seven years ago.
All three of the Doty children- Dan, Don, and Bruce Doty attended Kosciusko High School. Two of the children were members of the Big Red Band. Joe Doty, who has always had a love for theater production, got even more interested after one of his sons had a part in a play in Kosciusko.
“Joe was one of the first directors of the Passion play at the First United Methodist Church,” Doty said.
Joe Doty worked on the Passion play for over 25 years and Rebecca would do the make-up for all the performances Joe directed.
The Doty’s loved being a part of the theater community and would go to the Skipworth Performing Arts Center for plays. Or as Rebecca Doty mentioned, anything that came to Kosciusko to the auditorium, the couple would be there.
“We also loved doing ball room dancing, since we met for the first time at a dance,” Doty said.
The couple started with Western dancing and went on to do ballroom dancing.
“Because of Joe’s condition he doesn’t come with me anymore, but I still go to my ballroom dancing classes.” Doty said. “Joe loves dancing so much that the ladies at the VA will put on music just for him to line dance.”
Joe Doty, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, talks to his wife often about the ballroom dancing and his time directing the Passion play. When Rebecca Doty first heard about the Skipworth chair donations through Facebook and Dr. Tim Alford, who attends church with her, she knew this would be a great opportunity to honor her husband and to remember all his devotion to the city of Kosciusko and the performing arts.
Joe Doty was president of the Lions Club, a club that helps strengthen the community and helps people in need through community service, for over 60 years. Joe was also president of the Mississippi Furniture Association.
Before Joe’s health got bad the couple would spend their time traveling and have even gone as far as France.
The Doty family felt like it was the right time to purchase a chair for Joe who is now 89 years old, to honor all his work and accomplishments in his lifetime and they believe that Joe’s legacy will live on when people read his name on the donated chair.
