Dorothy Pustejovsky

Dorothy “Dot” Hlavaty Pustejovsky, age 83, passed away at her home in Dallas, Texas on Friday, May 26, 2023 with a daughter and her sisters by her side and her strong faith following a five-month battle with cancer.

A rosary will be recited and Mass of Christian Burial celebrated 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 2, 2023 at St. Mary's Catholic Church of the Assumption in West. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday at Aderhold Funeral Home Chapel in West.

Dot was born on June 14, 1939 near the town of West, Texas to Ernest Joseph and Bessie Jaska Hlavaty. Dot did not have an easy adolescence growing up on the family farm in Abbott. Being the oldest of three sisters, Dot took on many of the adult responsibilities at age fifteen when their father passed away unexpectedly. During these tough years the girls started a chicken/egg business and made loaves of fresh bread to sell to customers in Hillsboro and West to make ends meet. Education remained a priority in the Hlavaty household. Dot attended Abbott School and was valedictorian of her 8th grade class, then after graduating as her high school valedictorian in 1957 she continued living at the farm with her mother and two sisters while commuting to Waco where she worked full time for the Bluebonnet Girl Scout Council and took night classes at Baylor University.

In 1960 Dot married Anton “Tony” Pustejovsky. Together they had five children and lived in Alexandria, VA; Fort Campbell, KY; San Antonio, TX; and Denison, TX before moving to Dallas, TX in 1969. The family became parishioners of Christ the King Catholic Church and all five children were sent to Christ the King School where Dot was very active. Continuing to be a staunch advocate of education, the children were sent to college preparatory schools in Dallas. While working fulltime and with two kids still at home, Dot, at the age of 53, fulfilled her dream of attaining a college degree graduating Summa Cum Laude from The University of Texas at Dallas in December 1992 with a B.S. in Public Administration.

Dot held various jobs throughout her life including driving the VW “school” bus for the Dallas Country Day school and bookkeeping for Utica, Kenneth L. Jones, CPA, and Porter Lighting Company. You likely saw her with a rubber band around her hand, a habit she picked up while working at the State National Bank in West during her senior year in high school. In 1995 Dot started an adventurous and fulfilling 22-year career with Microsoft as an Administrator, a “once in a lifetime, fun, and amazing experience”, as she described it. She saw the launch of Windows95, one of the most anticipated product launches in American business history, experienced the exponential growth of Microsoft, and worked with and met people from around the world. Her many trips to the corporate office in Redmond, WA is likely why she became picky about her salmon - “is it from the Pacific Northwest?” Dot utilized Microsoft’s matching gift and software program by generously providing software to Abbott School and St. Mary’s School in West. The people she worked with were her extended family, and the outpouring of love from them reflects this.

In addition to being a hard-worker and always a learner, Dot was well-rounded with many talents and interests. Winning the District 8 4-H Dress Revue, Dot represented District 8 in the State Dress Revue at the State Fair of Texas multiple times and in 1955 won a Kenmore sewing machine which she used throughout her life to make dresses, curtains, comforters, etc. She loved fishing on the family farm, her farm, the Texas coast, wherever. She loved basketball, playing in high school (her team made it to State), coaching the girls’ team at Christ the King, and watching women’s college basketball. She had the mad 42 skills, one of those who figured out who had what in their hand after the first play (you wanted to be her partner)! Known for her bread dressing and chicken salad, she always had to make extra so there were leftovers. She loved traveling, whether for work or the many road trips with family. She loved the arts and was a season ticket holder to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Super Pops series and a member of the Dallas Arboretum. She loved gardening and created a beautiful space in her backyard with flowers, plants, statues, pathways, and bird feeders that attract a variety of species. She loved watching the birds.

Dot loved her family and friends dearly and was active in their lives attending sporting events and celebrating countless birthdays, communions, confirmations, graduations, and weddings.

Dot is survived by a son, Mark Pustejovsky and wife Sandie; daughters, Karen Klein, Cheryl Pustejovsky, Cindy Pustejovsky, and Amy Rodgers and husband David; grandchildren, Lauren, Jennifer, Heather, West, and Kimber; great-grandchildren, Dylan, JJ, and Chloe; sisters, Margaret Kennedy and husband Gayle and Betty Patterson and husband Ron; nephews, Spencer, Brady, Tyson, and Cade; great nieces and nephews, Tyler, Preston, Bryson, Mary Grace, Ebba, and Owen; and many other relatives and friends.

Pallbearers are nephews, Spencer Patterson, Tyson Kennedy, Cade Kennedy, Brady Patterson, Tyler Patterson, Preston Kennedy, Bryson Kennedy, and great-grandson, Dylan Ensminger.

In honor of friends and family, Dot was known to donate to their local food banks. With that in mind, in lieu of flowers please consider a memorial donation to your local food bank or a charity of your choice.