Dora "Dori" Isabel (Bellini) Borden Obituary (1938 - 2022)

Borden, Dora Isabel (Bellini) 9/7/1938-8/13/2022 Dora "Dori" Isabel (Bellini) Borden, 83, of Kalamazoo died peacefully Saturday after a brief illness. Dori was born Sept. 7, 1938, in the capital district of Argentina. She was studying to be an English teacher when she met Stuart Borden, whom she married on Dec. 30, 1961, in her hometown of Villa Marcos Paz in the province of Tucuman. The couple moved back and forth between the United States and Argentina until settling finally in the United States in 1979. They divorced in 2000. Dori worked in the travel, hospitality, retail and banking industries. In 1988, she joined British electronics firm Racal Instruments. She served as document control manager until her retirement in 2008, when she moved to Kalamazoo to be near her grandchildren. Her devotion to the company was rewarded with lasting friendships she cherished. She was fiercely loyal to and protective of her family and friends in both Argentina and the United States. Although she beamed with pride when she was finally sworn in as a U.S. citizen in 2007, Dori frequently made it known that she was most proud of raising children who loved one another so deeply. She was an avid gardener, reader and crafter who delighted her family with truly unique, original gifts and fables. Her enthusiasm for Christmas had no equal, and she leaves behind a lifetime of holiday traditions that her family treasures and carries on. Dori was preceded in death by her parents, Andres and Josefa Bellini, and a sister, Eugenia. She is survived by her four children, Sandra Borden and Robert Borden, both of Kalamazoo; Stuart Borden of Avon, Connecticut; and Scott Borden of Los Angeles, California. She is also survived by her sisters, Angela and Cristina Bellini, both of Tucuman, Argentina; and six grandchildren: Donald, Kat, Zach, Emma, Angela and Enya. Gathering of family and friends will take place Friday, August 19, 2022, from 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Student Parish, 421 Monroe Street, Kalamazoo, with the memorial mass beginning at 3:00 p.m. The service will be streamed live on the parish Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sttomskazoo/videos In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the St. Vincent DePaul Society or Western Michigan University's Medieval Institute. Lovingly nicknamed "Dorita" ("Little Dora") by her Argentine family and "Madre Loca" ("Crazy Mother") by her U.S. family, Dori was truly one of a kind and will be deeply missed. She leaves behind an everlasting legacy that will undoubtedly continue to influence her friends and family. Cremation arrangements are entrusted to Michigan Cremation & Funeral Care, Grand Rapids, 616-452-3006.