David Letterman’s mother, Dorothy M. Hofert Letterman Mengering, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 95. Let’s read this article to learn what caused her death.
Dorothy Mengering’s cause of death: What happened to David Letterman’s mother?
Our research indicates that Mengering passed away on April 11, 2017, from natural causes. When Dorothy Marie Hofert was a little child growing up on Park Road in Linton, Indiana, her favorite Christmas gifts were a box of chocolate-covered cherries and a quiet place to curl up with a book.
She adored Hoosier author Gene Stratton Porter’s tales about the Limberlost region of Indiana, with “The Song of the Cardinal” being her favorite.
She reread her well-worn volumes many times throughout her life, savoring their simple and beautiful language, most recently eight decades after first turning those pages.
Though she expertly stepped into the roles of Olympics correspondent and pie baker on her son’s late-night television show, she never lost her unassuming demeanor, a perfect foil for his comedy and her full life.
Dorothy Hofert Letterman Mengering, 95, died peacefully at home in Carmel on April 11, 2017, after nearly 96 years of full life.
She was born in Linton on July 18, 1921, the oldest child of Lena Marie Strietelmeier Hofert and Earl Jacob Hofert Sr., with brother Earl and sister Hazel following.
She graduated from Linton-Stockton High School and then attended Indiana University, returning to Linton on weekends to meet H. Joe Letterman, a church organist and grower of fine dahlias and gladiolas.
Heavy anti-aircraft fire pelted the gliders carrying guns and other supplies, and the majority of them, including Mr. Mengering’s, crashed and landed behind enemy lines.
He was left dead among the many casualties of the 319th, but he was rescued and awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He spent the rest of his life dealing with the aftereffects of his severe injuries, but that didn’t stop him from living his life to the fullest.
