(Honoring A Lifelong Caregiver And Believer)
Doris M. Hornyak, age 84, of Archbold, went home to be with her Lord Jesus Christ on Feb. 13, 2026.
Her ill health kept her from all she would have liked to accomplish through her years on earth, but she continued on despite her baffling illness, which was misunderstood by many.
She was born Sept. 23, 1941, in Napoleon, the daughter of Lester and Lillian (Rohda) Hutchison. In 1964, she married Paul W. “Bill” Short, who passed away in 1981. She then married Roland J. “Ron” Hornyak in 1988, and he passed away in 2020.
She was a 1959 graduate of Napoleon High School and graduated in 1961 from the Northwestern Ohio School of Practical Nursing.
During her teenage years, she worked as a waitress at the Palmer House Restaurant in Napoleon, where morning coffee drinkers called her the “Dimple Darling” of the Palmer House. They were so kind to “pass the hat” on her behalf, and $150 was paid for her tuition to nursing school.
She worked as an L.P.N./recreational therapist until 1964 at the Toledo Hospital, where she was the first L.P.N. to be placed on the eighth-floor stress unit at that time.
She flourished in that area, paving the way for more L.P.N.s to follow. She also worked at Southern Manor Nursing Care Center, Temple, Texas; Bryan Nursing Care (now Harborside), until she became chronically ill; and held various jobs between: Lauber Furniture Manufacturing, Christie’s Restaurant, Brookview Farms, The Greenery, and Al-Meda Candy, all of Archbold.
Survivors include her son, Todd W. (Jackie) Short of Wauseon; two daughters, Tonya M. Short of Bowling Green, Ohio, and Tandy M. (Scott) Szabo of Archbold; four stepdaughters, Debra Hornyak of Oakwood, Shearl (Steve) Johnson of South Carolina, Kathy Oller Jones of London, Ky., and Christine Curl of Edgerton; two stepsons, Robert “Bob” (Pam) Hornyak of Ravenna and Steven (Sue) Hornyak of Atwater; a brother, Robert (Doris “Dortie”) Hutchison of Florida, Ohio; four grandchildren, Savannah (Trent) Crouch, C.J., Lawson, and Ellerly; and many step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands; two sisters; a daughter-in-law, Christina Short; and her grandparents, Louis and Mary (Dietrich) Rohda and George and Daisy (Holberg) Hutchison.
Doris’s wishes were to be cremated and have a private family graveside service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Defiance Youth for Christ, P.O. Box 111, Defiance, OH 43512. Online condolences may be left at ShortFuneralHome.com.
Memories of Doris: compassionate, caring, loving wife and mother; she knew Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and raised her children to know Him as well.
Mom made the best German chocolate cake from scratch—yum! She loved to play “Pepper” and do crossword puzzles. She will miss her dear children and grandchildren.