Dabney Fitch Vigor

Joyful. Blunt. Stubborn as can be. Opinionated to the degree that the Charlotte Observer kept her head shot on file to run with her next letter to the editor. Faithful in such a manner that when their phones lit up with a text, family members could expect a Bible verse from Doty. Loving in such an all-encompassing way, she befriended a woman who worked at the jewelry counter at Belk to the point of driving her to and from work for months on end. Fun-loving and giving so she took her grandkids and their friends to Chuck E. Cheese where she maintained her lifelong love of Skee-Ball.

Good fortune joined Doty on her ride through life. One morning in 2006 she bumped into President Clinton outside Baker’s Café in Charleston. The two wound up sharing breakfast along with his Secret Service detail which she picked up the tab for. Dabney ordered a Bloody Mary to toast the occasion.

Dabney Fitch Vigor was 78 when she died on July 17, 2026, following a period of declining health. A stroke in late 2024 robbed her of the gifts that made her unforgettable and those who loved her of the force she brought to the world.

Her legacy, though, endures in her devotion to family. Loyalty to friends. Kindness to strangers. And a strength of character chiseled from 30 years of being a single mother at a time when it wasn’t so easy.

Most everyone knew her as Doty, inspired by the way she doted on those she loved dearly, none more than her son and grandchildren. She was born in Sarasota, Fla., on October 9, 1948, the third of William Camp Fitch and Margaret Williams Fitch’s four children. She grew up in Sarasota, Ocala and Orlando, Fla., honing her skills as a social butterfly at Ocala Cotillion Club dances. She and her siblings spent many summers in the mountains of North Carolina swimming back and forth across the shores of Lake Toxaway between Hillmont (now the famed Greystone Inn) and Robin Hill, two family homes, as well in the picturesque town of Montreat, immersed in the love of her grandparents, Money & Grand Joy, at their second home. She ultimately attended Montreat College beginning in 1966.

North Carolina became her home. After stops in Charlotte, where she gave birth to her only son in 1977, and Gastonia, where she couldn’t wait to move again, she spent the next 15 years in Cornelius. Dabney was very active in her son’s schools as well as Mount Zion Methodist Church. Many of her close friendships came as a result of her time in Cornelius.

She ultimately returned to Charlotte and spent over 25 years working in residential real estate marketing, 20 of those for Bissell-Hayes Realtors, savoring the relationships she forged with colleagues and relishing the opportunity to mentor young agents. Her presence brightened the office and all those who labored in it. Bissell-Hayes coworkers were a second family to Dabney and her son.

Doty did good works, from delivering Friendship Trays to volunteering in children’s ministries at Myers Park United Methodist. She was a welcome presence at the Dilworth United Methodist Church preschool and later volunteered at Cotswold Elementary and Alexander Graham Middle School, joining her grandchildren on their journey.

When two of her nieces attended Queens University of Charlotte, she’d pick up their laundry on Friday and return it Monday, washed, ironed and folded.

She was Chief of the Grammar Police, always on the lookout for misplaced commas and especially personal pronouns. She also kept the cleanest house “in the history of man” according to those who knew her.

Doty could cook and bake, from pork tenderloin on the grill to a to-die-for carrot cake, the recipe handed down by her mother-in-law. Being on her Christmas Cookie delivery list was like winning the lottery.

For sleepovers, she and her first grandchild, Porter, each wore special pajamas. A magnificent day at Sunset Beach with family and friends often ended with a Peach Fuzz. A glorious day of cards and Happy Hour with friends at The Carlton began and ended with laughter.

But her absolute favorite thing to do was to watch, support and cheer for her grandchildren in their athletic endeavors. In her estimation, Cameron never threw anything but strikes when he was pitching and neither he or Hadley ever struck out on a real strike. She could be heard saying “shoot a monkey” and “that was absolutely a ball”.

That’s a good way to remember Doty, savoring all the blessings that life gave her and the countless ones that she gave others.

Doty is survived by her son, Drew Vigor, former daughter-in-law), Michelle Castleberry, of Charlotte; three siblings – Marci Arthur (the late Allen Arthur) of Winter Park, Fla., Billy Fitch of Blowing Rock, N.C., and Sally Darden and her husband, Hank, of Oviedo, Fla.; three grandchildren – Porter Kennedy, Cameron Vigor and Hadley Vigor, all of Charlotte; and numerous beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.

A service to celebrate her life will be at 2 p.m. Friday, August 14, at her church home, Myers Park United Methodist, 1501 Queens Road in Charlotte. Visitation follows at the church.

Those who knew Doty knew she loved to be surrounded by flowers and flowers can be sent directly to Myers Park Methodist Church prior to the service. Gifts in her memory can be made to VIA Health Partners (Hospice) at www.viagiving.org/donating or 7845 Little Ave., Charlotte, N.C. 28226; or the Myers Park Trinity Little League Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 11556, Charlotte, N.C. 28220.

The family is grateful for the care and kindness shown by everyone at VIA Health Partners who supported Doty along the last leg of her journey.