Doris "Jeanne" Gatton, 81, of Leonardtown, MD died on July 22, 2013 in Leonardtown, MD. Born September 11, 1931 in Baltimore, MD., she was the daughter of the late Leonard August Sunderland of Baltimore, MD., and Evelyn Moran of St. Mary's County, MD.

Her birth mother Evelyn Moran died when she was two years old and her dad remarried when she was seven years old. She was raised by Florence D., a widow, and Leonard A. Sunderland.

She was the wife of Phillip Alfred "Al" Gatton of Leonardtown, whom she married on July 4, 1952 in Compton, MD.

She is survived by her daughter Sandy and son in law George and granddaughter Shannon Dent (Rob) of Leonardtown; her daughter Joyce and son in law Preston and granddaughter Melissa Long (Brandon) of Mechanicsville and her son Lenny and his wife Tracy of Hollywood, MD., great granddaughter Hailey and great grandson Christopher.

Mrs. Gatton was a graduate of Southern High School, Baltimore, MD "Class of 1950" and a member of the marching band and orchestra. Mrs. Gatton was a work study student in high school and attended Burroughs Business Machine School, learning to work on a billing machine which typed the bills and orders.

She was employed by Meds Hat's for three years where she was a typist and phone operator in the work study program. Mrs. Gatton was employed at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station for five years 1950-1955 and she was employed at the courthouse for five years. She left the courthouse in 1970 to take over the Hills Club in Mechanicsville with her husband Al and their three children. They stayed there for twenty years until 1990.

She has been attending St. Paul's Church since 1957 where she taught Sunday school and sang in the church choir. She has been in a church choir since she could read. She has done much volunteer work at church through the years. It is such a joy to give yourself to God and to help others. Mrs. Gatton has been a board member, trustee and on the building committee for the new church, and also served on the Alter Guild as a communion steward.

She has been a member of the Mechanicsville Rescue Squad Auxiliary for 25 years in 2008. She was a member of the Mechanicsville Lioness Club for many years, where she was Charter President for eighteen months.

She loved to be with her family, read, crochet, and learning to knit. She loved watching her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren growing up. She loved her poodle Cody and loved being around friends. She was "Nanny" to many of her family's young friends. She has been in Hands in Praise Choir for three years and just loved it, she also loved working in Vacation Bible School.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, July 25, 2013 from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM with prayers recited at 7:00 PM in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD . A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, July 26, 2013 at 10:00 AM in First Saint's Community Church, St Paul's Campus, Leonardtown, MD with Pastor JohnWunderlich officiating. Interment will follow in Charles Memorial Gardens, Leonardtown, MD. Pallbearers will be; Mock Mattingly, Earl Newton, Rob Dent, Brandon Long, Brenda Gardiner, and Jerry Downs. Honorary Pallbearers will be the Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary, and Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad P.O. Box 15, Mechanicsville, MD 20659, St. Paul's Methodist Church VBS Fund, P.O. Box 95, Leonardtown, MD 20650 and Hospice of St. Mary's, P.O. Box 625 Leonardtown, MD 20650.

Arrangements provided by Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home.