Dorothy “Dot” Buffalo

Dorothy Buffalo

Dorothy “Dot” Buffalo, formerly of Little Rock, Arkansas, died peacefully on April 21, 2026, in Kirkland, Washington, with her four adult children at her side. She had lived in the Seattle, Washington area for the past thirteen years.

Dot was born June 28, 1935, in Hagler, Arkansas and grew up in Stuttgart and Lodge Corner. She received her degree in Chemistry from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas where she was a member of the University’s first women’s basketball team. After college, she completed her Medical Technology degree and worked for many years in the cardiology unit of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the allergy clinic within the Little Rock Family Practice Clinic. She was beloved by her patients (and their parents) for her gentle, precise touch, and her gift for making even the most anxious child feel at ease before they realized the procedure was already over.

Her faith was the thread running through everything she did.  A devout Christian and longtime member of Second Baptist Church in downtown Little Rock, Dot sang in the church choir. It was there, among the hymns and harmonies, that she met the love of her life, Joe Buffalo, Jr., an attorney who practiced law in Little Rock. Dot, Joe and their four children were deeply woven into the fabric of Second Baptist for the many years they called Little Rock home.

Dot had a gift for making people feel welcome, and she exercised it often. She loved to host and entertain, and any gathering at her home meant something wonderful was coming out of her kitchen. Friends and neighbors looked forward each Christmas to her legendary Bavarian coffeecakes, delivered with warmth and care. Those who knew Dot knew she was always the first to say yes. She had an adventurous spirit that never dimmed with age, whether that meant joining a last-minute trip, saying yes to a party, or getting in line for a rollercoaster alongside her grandkids without needing to be asked twice. She loved the arts, gardening, sewing, and playing a spirited game of bridge. She was a dedicated volunteer at Second Baptist Church and the Arkansas Arts Center and gave her time generously to many other charitable and social organizations around Little Rock. If there was a way to help, Dot found it.

Above all, she was a devoted mother and cherished grandmother – showing up for every event she could, staying curious about their lives, and leaving each one feeling truly seen and loved.

Dot is predeceased by her loving husband of 33 years, Joe Buffalo, Jr., and her parents, Carl Winnie Lybrand and Rebecca Lee Birmingham Lybrand.

She is survived by her children, Becke Buffalo (Lars Hanson) of New York, N.Y.; Joe Buffalo, III (Stephenie King) of Tulsa, OK; John B. Buffalo (Stefania Valentino) of Los Angeles, CA; and Beth Buffalo (Jill Riemer) of Seattle, WA; her eight grandchildren, John B. Buffalo, Jr., Lorenzo Buffalo, Isabella Buffalo McPherson (Cole McPherson), Catherine Buffalo, Graydon Hanson, Henry Riemer Buffalo (Tyler Allen Buffalo), Lillian Riemer Buffalo, Edward Joseph Buffalo, IV; and her sisters, Mildred Lybrand Simpson and Vida Lybrand Gordon.

A service will be held at Second Baptist Church Downtown, 222 E. 8^th Street, Little Rock, Arkansas on May 11, 2026, at 10am. Graveside services will follow at the Carlisle Cemetery in Carlisle, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Wockner Hospice Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, https://evergreenhealthfoundation.com/ways-to-give/hospice/.