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Dorian Elizabeth Leigh Parker (April 23, 1917 – July 7, 2008), known professionally as Dorian Leigh, was an American model and one of the earliest modeling icons of the fashion industry. She is considered one of the first
supermodel A supermodel, also spelled super-model or super model, is a highly paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in '' haute couture'' and commercial modeling. The term ''supermodel'' became prominent in the ...
s, and was well known in the United States and Europe.


Biography


Early life

Dorian Leigh Parker was born in
San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...
, to George and Elizabeth Parker. Her parents married when they were around 17 or 18 years old and Elizabeth promptly gave birth to three daughters in quick succession: Dorian, Florian "Cissie" (1918–2010), and Georgiabell (1921–1988). Thirteen years after the birth of her third daughter, Elizabeth believed she was going through menopause and was shocked to discover that she was pregnant. She gave birth to her fourth daughter, Cecilia (1932–2003), who became known as model and actress Suzy Parker. The family moved to Jackson Heights, Queens, soon after Dorian's birth and later to
Metuchen, New Jersey Metuchen ( ) is a suburban borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The borough is a commuter town of New York City, located in the heart of the Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. The borough, along wi ...
. There, George Parker invented a new form of etching acid, the production of which gave him enough income to retire. Dorian graduated from Newton High School in
Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
, in 1935 and enrolled at
Randolph-Macon Women's College Randolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational. The college offers 32 majors; 42 minors; � ...
in
Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner John Lynch, the city's population was 79,009 at the 2020 census. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountai ...
. In her autobiography, Dorian claimed that she was born in 1920, and graduated from high school early in 1935, at the age of 15. She claimed this was because she loved learning, and she took many classes at once since the school was supposedly overcrowded. But this later proven untrue. She also wrote that she was a 17-year-old college
sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In ...
when she first married, when in fact, she was 20. Her first husband was Marshall Powell Hawkins, whom she married on a whim in
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
in 1937. They had two children: Thomas Lofton ("TL") Hawkins (1939–2014) and Marsha Hawkins (born 1940). The couple separated in the 1940s. After college, Dorian worked as a file clerk at a department store in Manhattan and as a tabulator, keeping track of radio program ratings. Dorian found that she had an aptitude for math, mechanical engineering, and drawing. She began to go to night school at
Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was a ...
and said she learned about mechanical engineering at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, t ...
. According to her autobiography, she enrolled in the
Stevens Institute of Technology Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanica ...
in
Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,6 ...
, and received a B.S. in mechanical engineering. This was after an aptitude-testing laboratory (the Johnson O'Connor Foundation) informed her that she had a talent for engineering. Dorian worked at
Bell Laboratories Nokia Bell Labs, originally named Bell Telephone Laboratories (1925–1984), then AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984–1996) and Bell Labs Innovations (1996–2007), is an American industrial research and scientific development company owned by mult ...
, then during World War II, was a tool designer at
Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Ea ...
(with their Eastern Aircraft division). Dorian assisted in the design of airplane wings, beginning at 65 cents an hour and ending up with an hourly wage of $1.00. After failing to be promoted because she was a woman and because of a wartime freeze on positions, Dorian quit and took a job with
Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...
as an apprentice copywriter. While writing ad copy for the
B movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featu ...
s Republic created and distributed to movie houses, she was encouraged by a Mrs. Wayburn to try modeling.


Modeling career

Taking Mrs. Wayburn's advice, in 1944 Dorian went to the Harry Conover modeling agency. At 27, Dorian was not only old by modeling standards, but at barely 5'5", she was shorter than the other models at the agency. Conover immediately sent her to see
Diana Vreeland Diana Vreeland (September 29, 1903 – August 22, 1989) was a French-American fashion columnist and editor. She worked for the fashion magazine ''Harper's Bazaar'' and as editor-in-chief at '' Vogue'', later becoming a special consultant to the ...
, the editor of ''
Harper's Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the s ...
''. Dorian met with Vreeland and fashion photographer
Louise Dahl-Wolfe Louise Dahl-Wolfe (November 19, 1895 – December 11, 1989) was an American photographer. She is known primarily for her work for '' Harper's Bazaar'', in association with fashion editor Diana Vreeland. Background Louise Emma Augusta Dahl was b ...
, who were intrigued by her zig-zagged eyebrows. Vreeland warned her, "Do not -- do not do anything to those eyebrows!" Vreeland asked Dorian to return the next day, to be photographed for the cover of the June 1944 issue of ''Harper's Bazaar'', her very first modeling assignment. Conover told her to tell them she was 19-years-old. Later they were shocked to discover her real age (27), and that she already had two children. Dorian's parents thought modeling was not respectable, so Dorian used only her first and middle name during her career. When Dorian became an enormous success though, they thought it was acceptable that their youngest daughter Suzy use the Parker last name when she also became a famous model. Their other daughter, Florian, also had modeling photos in ''Vogue'' and ''Harper's Bazaar,'' but quit when she married a man in the military, and was living in Oahu when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941. Florian was considered the ultimate beauty among the Parker girls. Dorian instantly became busy with modeling assignments, landing on the covers of major magazines such as ''Vogue,'' ''Harper's Bazaar,'' ''Paris Match,'' ''LIFE,'' and ''Elle.'' Because of her schedule, Dorian's two children were sent to live with her parents in Florida, while she was based in New York City and traveling to Europe. In 1946, Dorian appeared on the cover of six American ''Vogue'' magazines. She worked with famous fashion photographers
Irving Penn Irving Penn (June 16, 1917October 7, 2009) was an American photographer known for his fashion photography, portraits, and still lifes. Penn's career included work at '' Vogue'' magazine, and independent advertising work for clients including Is ...
, John Rawlings,
Cecil Beaton Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Oscar–winning stage and costume designer for films and the the ...
, and Paul Radkai. She dated Irving Penn, who later married another model Lisa Fonssagrives. On one assignment, she argued with Paul Radkai's wife Karen, who wanted to be a fashion photographer and wanted to take many extra, and free photos of Dorian for her portfolio. When Dorian balked at having to pose for Karen without being paid, Karen warned Dorian she would "ruin her." Indeed, ''Vogue'' never used Dorian again, and Karen became a ''Vogue'' photographer for many years. Dorian easily transitioned to working with ''Harper's Bazaar's'' new, young photographer,
Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for '' Harper's Bazaar'', '' Vogue'' and ''Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and da ...
. Avedon would become one of the most famous photographers in history. While living in her apartment in New York, a young author,
Truman Capote Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, ...
visited a friend in an apartment near hers. Capote was fascinated by Dorian's lifestyle of non-stop men, coming-and-goings, and having a store across the street handle her phone calls (since there were no answering machines back in the early 1950s). He struck up a friendship with Dorian, and called her "Happy-go-lucky." Capote's character Holly Golightly in his famous 1958 novel Breakfast at Tiffany's is said to be largely based on Dorian's life, as well as socialite
Gloria Vanderbilt Gloria Laura Vanderbilt (February 20, 1924 – June 17, 2019) was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite. During the 1930s, she was the subject of a high-profile child custody trial in which her mother ...
's. Dorian also became well known for her advertising work for
Revlon Revlon, Inc. is an American multinational company dealing in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care. The headquarters of Revlon was established in New York City on March 1, 1932, where it still remains. Revlon was founded by brothe ...
. Revlon began full-page, national, color advertisements around 1944. Dorian's first ad was for "Fatal Apple." This was followed by "Sheer Dynamite," "Ultraviolet", "Fashion Plate", and "Cherries in the Snow." In 1952, when she was 35 years old,
Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for '' Harper's Bazaar'', '' Vogue'' and ''Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and da ...
photographed her for Revlon's most famous advertising campaign, ''Fire and Ice.'' In this two-page advertisement, Dorian is wearing a very tight, silver sequined gown wrapped in a huge red wrap that was copied from a
Balenciaga Balenciaga SA ( ) is a luxury fashion house founded in 1919 by the Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastian, Spain. Balenciaga produces ready-to-wear, footwear, handbags, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to ...
original. The dress had hand-sewn silver sequins on it, and it took so long to create that only the front of the dress was finished in time to be photographed for the ad. The back was non-existent and held in place with safety pins. Dorian also had a silver streak put in her black hair. The original ad had Dorian holding her hand in front of her breast. The agency considered the photo too risqué, and the ad was re-shot. This ad was accompanied by a provocative quiz written by Kay Daly. The ad became an enormous success, winning ''Advertising Ages "Magazine Advertisement of the Year" award. Around 1947, Dorian's sister Cissy introduced her to Roger Mehle. He was divorced from
Aileen Mehle Aileen Mehle (née Elder, June 10, 1918 – November 11, 2016), known by the pen name Suzy or Suzy Knickerbocker, was an American society columnist, active in journalism for over fifty years. Her column was syndicated to 100 newspapers and read ...
, who later became the very famous gossip columnist known as "Suzy". Cissy was married to an army officer and Mehle was the youngest Navy commander and fighter ace during WWII. In August 1948, Dorian was two months pregnant when she married Mehle. Dorian's bridemaids were her teen sister Suzy Parker and Suzy's teen model friend
Carmen Dell'Orefice Carmen Dell'Orefice (, ; born June 3, 1931) is an American supermodel and actress. She is known within the fashion industry for being the world's oldest working model as of the Spring/Summer 2012 season. She was on the cover of '' Vogue'' at the ...
. Dorian's two older children, who were being raised by her parents in Florida, came to live with the couple in Pennsylvania. During her marriage to Roger Mehle, Dorian became fed up with Harry Conover's agency. Conover's phones were often busy and it took a very long time for the clients to pay the models for their work. Dorian then decided to start her own modeling agency called the "Fashion Bureau". She came up with the idea of the "voucher system." With this innovative system, the modeling agency would pay the models weekly, instead of the models' having to wait to be paid directly by the clients. Often it took companies weeks, months, or even years to pay models for their work. One day at a photographer's studio, Dorian met a young fashion stylist named
Eileen Ford Eileen ( or ) is an Irish feminine given name anglicised from Eibhlín and may refer to: People Artists *Eileen Agar (1899–1991), British Surrealist painter and photographer * Eileen Fisher (born 1950), clothing retailer and designer * Eile ...
. Ford asked how Dorian's modeling agency worked, and then decided to start an agency of her own. Eileen, along with her husband Gerard W. Ford, started what would become one of the most prestigious modeling agencies in the world,
Ford Models Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford. Company Ford Models was started in 1946 by Eilee ...
. Dorian closed her agency when she married. She then telephoned Eileen Ford and told her that she would join the Ford Agency if they also signed her 15-year-old sister, Suzy Parker, sight-unseen. Suzy, 15 years younger than Dorian, had already been working for the
Huntington Hartford George Huntington Hartford II (April 18, 1911 – May 19, 2008) was an American businessman, philanthropist, stage and film producer, and art collector. He was also heir to the A&P supermarket fortune. After his father's death in 1922, Hartfor ...
agency making $25 per hour. Dorian told Ford she believed Suzy should be making $40 per hour. The Fords' agency was only two years old so they were anxious to represent a famous model like Dorian. They agreed to meet Dorian and Suzy for lunch. Dorian was thin, had an extremely small waist, and had black hair and bright blue eyes. The Fords were shocked during their initial meeting to see that Suzy was almost six inches taller than Dorian, had a very large frame, and had bright red hair, freckles, and green eyes. In the 1950s, Suzy would become even more famous than Dorian, and would go on to be a movie and television actress. Dorian gave birth to her daughter, Young Eve Mehle, on March 27, 1949. The couple had a house in
Bucks County, Pennsylvania Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...
but rarely saw each other. Roger Mehle's naval career stationed him in
Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
, and Dorian commuted to New York City and Paris for modeling work. Dorian also began to work more often in Europe with
Richard Avedon Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for '' Harper's Bazaar'', '' Vogue'' and ''Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and da ...
. In 1952, Dorian also played the part of a model in the play ''The Fifth Season.'' Her job as model, mother, and actress was featured in ''
Look To look is to use sight to perceive an object. Look or The Look may refer to: Businesses and products * Look (modeling agency), an Israeli modeling agency * ''Look'' (American magazine), a defunct general-interest magazine * ''Look'' (UK ma ...
'' magazine's June 2, 1953, cover story. By then, Dorian had appeared on the covers of more than 50 magazines. On the ''Look'' cover, Dorian is quoted as saying, "I would rather have a baby than a mink coat." The previous summer in Paris, she had met the married Spanish athlete Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca, Marquis of Portago (
Alfonso de Portago Alfonso Cabeza de Vaca y Leighton, 11th Marquess of Portago, GE (11 October 1928 – 12 May 1957), best known as Alfonso de Portago, was a Spanish aristocrat, racing and bobsleigh driver, jockey and pilot. Born in London to a prominent famil ...
). Dorian's children again were sent to live with her parents in Florida. Alfonso ("Fon"), was 11 years younger than Dorian. She was still married to Roger Mehle. Portago was also married, to an older American showgirl named Carroll McDaniel who later married Milton Petrie. Portago also had a three-year-old daughter with Carroll. Fon told Dorian that years before, he had seen her "Ultraviolet" Revlon ad in a drugstore in Spain and was captivated. Dorian and Fon were both reluctant to divorce their spouses, but carried on an affair all summer in Paris and
Biarritz Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. ...
. Dorian became pregnant by him, but chose to have an abortion because she feared Roger Mehle would divorce her and take full-custody of their daughter Young Eve. Only weeks later, at the end of the summer, Fon told Dorian that Carroll was pregnant with their second child. Dorian returned to the United States and divorced Roger Mehle on November 24, 1954, in Mexico. Fon then "married" Dorian in Mexico right away, but since de Portago was not divorced, the marriage was not legal. Dorian continued her affair with Fon even though his wife Carroll gave birth to their son Anthony de Portago around 1954.
Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( , ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with popularizing a sporty, c ...
, Suzy's great friend, told Dorian that she was "throwing her life away on an idiot." Despite Chanel's warning, Dorian got pregnant by de Portago again, even though he was still married to Carroll. To avoid a scandalous illegitimate pregnancy and gossip columnists in the United States, Dorian left her three other children with her parents in Florida, and fled to Paris and Switzerland. In Switzerland, Dorian spent time with
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...
's large family before giving birth to her son Kim Blas Parker on September 27, 1955. Dorian did not tell her parents about this child, and instead lied and told her family that she was in a tuberculosis clinic. Dorian and de Portago continued an on-and-off relationship in 1956 and 1957.


Life after modeling

Living in France with her baby son Kim, Dorian was nearing 40. Her career as a model was coming to a close, so Dorian began the first legal modeling agency in France to support her son. She also had lent the financially irresponsible de Portago about $15,000. De Portago, still married, was now also openly dating actress Linda Christian, the ex-wife of actor
Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...
, in early 1957. On April 23, 1957, Dorian's 40th birthday, de Portago told Dorian that he was supposedly finally divorcing Carroll so they could be legally married. He told her that he was entering the famous
Mille Miglia The Mille Miglia (, ''Thousand Miles'') was an open-road, motorsport endurance race established in 1927 by the young Counts Francesco Mazzotti and Aymo Maggi, which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957 (thirteen before World ...
car race in Italy on May 8, 1957 and Carroll was supposed to sign their divorce papers on May 9. Instead, on May 8, Dorian received a phone call from de Portago's mother Olga, informing Dorian that Fon's tire on his Ferrari race car had blown up because he did not stop in time for a tire change. Fon and his co-driver Edmund Nelson were mutilated and killed in a horrifying crash. When the tire exploded, he lost control of the car and killed nine spectators, including five children. This catastrophe ended the Mille Miglia forever. A few days after Alfonso de Portago was killed, Dorian's sister Suzy, making a movie with
Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...
, told famous gossip columnist
Louella Parsons Louella Parsons (born Louella Rose Oettinger; August 6, 1881 – December 9, 1972) was an American movie columnist and a screenwriter. She was retained by William Randolph Hearst because she had championed Hearst's mistress Marion Davies and ...
that Dorian had a son with de Portago and she was estranged from her sister because of it. Dorian was shocked that Suzy leaked this secret, and Dorian's parents only learned about this child reading it in the newspaper. Dorian's parents were furious and told Dorian that she would never have custody of her children. They also refused to accept Kim. In 1957, Dorian returned to Florida and visited Young at her parents’ home. Dorian then took Young and fled to Paris. She remained mostly in France for the next twenty-one years. Dorian's two older children had graduated high school. Dorian continued her modeling agency in Paris and became pregnant by yet another man in 1958. While in the hospital in Paris on June 6, 1958, Dorian received news that Suzy and her father had been in a serious car accident. Suzy's father supposedly did not see or hear a train and drove onto the tracks where the train slammed into his car. They were on their way to visit Suzy's mother who was in the hospital with cancer. Their father was killed. Suzy had broken arms and was hospitalized for three months. Dorian then had her gynecologist, Serge Bordat, abort the baby. Days later, she then suddenly married Bordat. Although Dorian already had four children by three different men, she wanted another baby. Bordat claimed he was too young. Dorian moved out of their apartment, but they remained legally married. Dorian was so busy with her Paris modeling agency that she now had branches in Hamburg, Germany, and London. Dorian often traveled to these offices. During a solo ski vacation to Klosters, Switzerland over Christmas 1960, 43-year-old Dorian craved a baby and slept with four men in one week. Three months later, her husband found out through one of Dorian's models that she was pregnant by one of these men. In September 1961, Dorian gave birth to her fifth child, Miranda, in France. Dorian thought that a young ski instructor at Klosters was the father. Dorian then divorced Bordat. Dorian did not tell Miranda that Dr. Bordat was not her father until she was a teenager, and despite never meeting her biological father, Miranda kept his last name. In 1964, 47-year-old Dorian met 23-year-old Israeli writer Iddo Ben-Gurion and they were married. Dorian discovered Iddo was a drug-addict who was embezzling money from her modeling agencies. Dorian divorced him in 1966, and she remained single for the next forty-two years of her life until her death in 2008. Dorian eventually had to close her agencies because so much money was stolen by Iddo. Most of her modeling fortune had been spent recklessly or stolen. In 1972, Dorian became a born-again Christian at the urging of her sister Georgiabell and her daughter Young. Living in Paris, Dorian studied at
Le Cordon Bleu Le Cordon Bleu (French for " The Blue Ribbon") is an international network of hospitality and culinary schools teaching French ''haute cuisine''. Its educational focuses are hospitality management, culinary arts, and gastronomy. The institut ...
and opened her own restaurant, Chez Leigh, from 1973 to 1975. She tried to get cooking jobs in Corsica and Orleans as well. By 1976, Dorian was broke. In 1977, Dorian received a phone call from the New York City modeling agency Stewart Cowley asking her to work as his office manager. Dorian agreed to return to New York where her son Kim was living. Kim's half-brother Anthony de Portago also lived in New York City and the two actually had become good friends. Dorian soon discovered that her 21-year-old son Kim was a serious drug addict, and sent him to live with her sister Suzy in California briefly. He was told to leave when it was discovered that he was continuing to use drugs in their home. Kim returned to New York City, and only six months after Dorian re-settled and reunited with Kim in New York, he jumped 33 floors from his apartment window to his death, leaving a suicide note behind. On March 6, 1990, Kim's half-brother Anthony died of
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
. After Kim's death, Dorian lived in
Pound Ridge, New York Pound Ridge is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,104 at the 2010 census. The town is located toward the eastern end of the county, bordered to the north and east by the town of Lewisboro, by Stamford, Con ...
, where she made pâtés for delicatessens and specialty food shops, according to a profile in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' by Enid Nemy. She also worked with
Martha Stewart Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail businesswoman, writer, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publ ...
in the early 1980s. Dorian wrote two cookbooks, ''Pancakes: From Flapjacks to Crepes'' (1987) and ''Doughnuts: Over 3 Dozen Crullers, Fritters and Other Treats'' (1994) at the age of 77.


Autobiography

In 1980, Dorian published an autobiography, ''The Girl Who Had Everything'' (Doubleday).''The Girl Who Had Everything'', A Ginger Book (1980), According to Dorian, she wrote her autobiography for her late son: "I really wrote it for Kim, who will never read it. But perhaps other Kims and their parents may learn from my unhappy experiences".


Death

Dorian died in a
Falls Church, Virginia Falls Church is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Chur ...
nursing home from
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As ...
at the age of 91 in 2008. In her obituary, her first son, T.L. Hawkins, reminisced about his mother's famous "Fire and Ice" photograph. Dorian was survived by three of her five children: Son Thomas ("T.L.") Lofton, who later married Kristie Miller, daughter of Ruth Elizabeth McCormick,THOMAS LOFTON HAWKINS "T.L."
/ref> daughters Young Eve and Miranda Olga. Dorian's son Blaise (Kim) and daughter Marsha Lynn pre-deceased her. She was also survived by several grandchildren and one remaining Parker sister, Florian, who died at the age of 92 in 2010.


References


External links









(preceding chapter tells of the "Fire and Ice" campaign itself, in which Leigh starred and from which the book was titled)
Obituary
in the
Richmond Times Dispatch The ''Richmond Times-Dispatch'' (''RTD'' or ''TD'' for short) is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond, the capital of Virginia, and the primary newspaper of record for the state of Virginia. Circulation The ''Times-Dispatch'' has the second- ...

Obituary in the Guardianoriginal ''Fire and Ice'' advertisement
complete with risqué questionnaire {{DEFAULTSORT:Leigh, Dorian 1917 births 2008 deaths Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Neurological disease deaths in Virginia Female models from Florida Female models from Texas New York University alumni People from Falls Church, Virginia People from Florida People from Pound Ridge, New York People from San Antonio Randolph–Macon College alumni Racing drivers' wives and girlfriends Rutgers University alumni 20th-century American women 20th-century American people 21st-century American women