Vivian Delores Dorsey

Vivian Delores Dorsey was born January 23, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan to parents Dock
T. Davis and Georgia Ann Davis. Vivian grew up in a musically involved household with five sisters and three brothers.
She played the piano and sang alto in Northern High School Choir and the Robert
Nolan Choir. Robert Nolan was the family piano teacher and the family vocal
accompanist at many concerts in the Detroit area.

She married Edward W. Golden in 1948 and together they bore Tyrone Golden, Carmina Golden (Roberson), Mario Golden and Celia Golden. Her sister Cleopatra Jones formed The Davis Family Choir. The choir was very instrumental to all of those
involved and included relatives, friends and children that performed at different
churches in the Detroit area.

Vivian attended Wayne State University in the College of Life Long Learning. She
accepted a position with the Internal Revenue Service where she worked for 20 years.
After the IRS Vivian additionally worked for Electronic Data Systems until she retired.
During retirement she began working part-time for the Robert Half Agency where she
held administrative positions for various companies in the Detroit area.
In the 1980’s Vivian converted to Catholicism. She received an Associate of Arts
Degree in Ministry from Sacred Heart Major Seminary and a Pastoral Ministry
Certification from the Archdiocese of Detroit. During that time, she met and married
William (Bill) Dorsey at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Detroit, MI. Vivian became
involved with administrative work and teaching classes at Corpus Christi. Bill was also a
teacher and later became an Ordained Deacon with the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Vivian and her sisters Cleopatra, Hazel, Gloria and Evelyn were members of the
National Society Daughters of Union Veterans of The Civil War 1861-1865. Their
grandfather John Wesley Davis was a Sergeant in Company G, 57 th Regiment U.S.
Colored Infantry. They attended the official presentation “Tribute to Civil War Soldiers
and Descendants” on September 10, 1996 at the Arlington National Cemetery Memorial
Amphitheater in Arlington, Virginia.

Outside of church, Vivian and Bill loved to travel. Their favorite was cruising every year
to various locations around the world including Eastern and Western Caribbean,
Bermuda, Hawaiian Islands, Africa and various European countries.
She was the last living of all off her siblings – Brothers Reverdy Davis, Thurston Davis,
Odell Davis; Sisters- Georgia Mae Davis, Cleopatra Jones, Hazel Caldwell, Evelyn Cox
and Gloria McCully. Vivian leaves to mourn and cherish her loving memory: Tyrone
Golden (Debra), Carmina Roberson (James), Mario Golden and Celia Golden; four
grandchildren; Jasmine Wilson, Emmanuel Smith (Latisha), Hosanna Smith and

Alexandra Golden; four great-grandchildren; Emmanuel Smith, Analiese Smith, Eleazar-
Yisreal Smith, Grace Smith, a host of much loved nieces, nephews, cousins and many
treasured friends.