Her real name was Carolyn T. Peifer, but everyone knew her as “Doatsy.”
It was a nickname she got as a young child, when the whimsical song “Mairzy Doats” was a popular tune. World War II was underway, and with her dad serving in the South Pacific, the girl and her mother lived with her grandparents.
“They would sing the song to her, and the ‘Doatsy’ part stuck through her whole life,” her sister, Elizabeth Cohen, said. “She was never a Carolyn.”
Peifer, 62, of Aurora died Sept. 13 at Hospice of Metro Denver Care Center.
A longtime Denver public relations woman, Peifer represented such clients as Cirque du Soleil and retail developments including Denver Pavilions and Larimer Square.
She loved her work, and proof of that came in July, when Cirque brought its traveling show “Corteo” to Denver.
Peifer told the production’s management and media clients that she was gravely ill with cancer but wasn’t ready to hand over the PR duties just yet.
“She said, ‘What am I going to do, watch the train coming?”‘ recalled Rachel Andrews, Cirque’s public relations manager for touring shows. “On the day of the premiere, it was so hot, but she worked and worked. She was so valiant and a delight to work with.”
Peifer was equally devoted to friends and family. “We would hike in Estes Park, talk politics, go to movies and dinner,” said Kaylynn Dougall, a PR specialist with the Mental Health Center of Denver. “Those were things that were precious to her.”
Peifer’s son Nick Hoyer, 35, of Fort Collins said he got his love of writing and telling stories from his mother.
“My favorite thing about her was that she was so passionate about life,” Hoyer said. “She’d ask big questions and dig deeper.”
Born in Evanston, Ill., Peifer grew up in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook. A lifelong love of the West began when she went to Colorado Women’s College. The school merged with the University of Denver in 1982. Peifer studied theater. In those days, Peifer was “the original hippie – long straight hair, little glasses, bongo drums,” her sister recalled.
After college, Peifer married, had two sons and lived in South Carolina and Idaho before settling in Aurora. She divorced and worked for several public relations companies before founding Peifer Communications Inc. in 1993.
She served on the board of directors of Big Brothers of Metro Denver, Gateway Battered Women’s Shelter, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
In addition to her sister and son, she is survived by another son, Joshua T. Hoyer of Truckee, Calif.; and three brothers, Chris A. Peifer of Tampa, Fla., Charles L. Peifer of Princeton, N.J., and Andrew K. Peifer of San Diego, Calif.
A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Sunday at the University of Denver’s conference and event center at the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management at 2044 E. Evans Ave.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to mountains .
Suzanne S. Brown: 303-954-1697 or sbrown@denverpost.com
