Dorothy Anstett (born June 28, 1947; Age: 77) is an American former beauty queen better known as the ex-wife of Bill Russell, the late legendary American basketball star and former Boston Celtics center who went on to become a successful basketball coach as well.
Beyond her publicly celebrated marriage to the basketball legend, Dorothy Anstett built her reputation as a beauty queen. She is known for having won the title of Miss USA in 1968 and was a 4th runner-up in the Miss Universe 1968 competition. Her marriage to Bill Russell lasted only three years.
Summary of Dorothy Anstett’s Biography
- Full name: Dorothy Catherine Anstett
- Nickname: Didi Anstett
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: June 28, 1947
- Dorothy Anstett’s Age: 77 years old
- Place of birth: Kirkland, Washington, United States
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: American
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Dorothy Anstett’s Ex-Husband: William “Bill” Fenton Russell (deceased – m. 1977, div. 1980)
- Dorothy Anstett’s Parents: Francis Duane Anstett (father) and Agnes Duane Anstett (mother)
- Siblings: Eight
- Dorothy Anstett’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 9 inches
- Dorothy Anstett’s Height in Centimeters: 175 cm
- Body measurements in inches: 30-25-26 inches
- Dorothy Anstett’s Net Worth: $1 million to $5 million
- Hair color: Brown
- Eye color: Brown
- Education: University of Washington
- Profession: Model, beauty queen
- Famous for: Being a former beauty queen and Bill Russell’s ex-wife
Bill Russell’s Former Spouse, Dorothy Anstett, Was Born in June 1947
Dorothy Anstett was born in Kirkland, Washington on the 28th of June 1947 – which makes her identify as a Cancerian. There are not so many details about who her parents are in the public space but their names have been given as Francis Duane Anstett (father) and Agnes Duane Anstett (mother). We also know that her father was an employee in an aircraft plant – Boeing, however, the occupation of her mother is not known.
Born in the United States, Dorothy Anstett holds an American nationality and is of Caucasian ethnicity. Her family lived in a six bedrooms apartment in the lakeside Kirkland, Washington and she has four brothers and four sisters, unfortunately, her exact position in the family is not known. However, her parents did what they could to see that Dorothy and her siblings got a proper basic education.
She Got Into Pageantry in Order to Assist Herself Through School
We know that Dorothy Anstett was a beauty queen in her younger days but what many may not know is that it wasn’t a childhood aspiration. In fact, the former Miss USA was an English major at the University of Washington when she dabbled into pageantry and according to her, she gave it a try because she needed money to support herself through school.
Born into a large family with an average means of income meant that her parents did their best to see her – and her siblings – through primary and secondary education. It has been reported that all her other siblings had jobs and were able to support themselves through their university education also.
With that in mind, she decided to toe the same route when she gain admission into the University of Washington. She decided to support herself through university and knowing fully well that she was beautiful with the right kind of shape for the industry, she decided to go into pageantry.
She Won the Miss Washington Pageantry Crown At Her First Attempt
Dorothy Anstett’s first attempt to become a pageant titleholder was in 1967. That year, she participated in the Mid-Washington Pageantry competition in July but did not win. However, she did well enough to make it to the position of first runner-up. Finishing at that position in just her first attempt was all the motivation she needed to keep forging ahead.
Fast forward to 1968, Dorothy went on to participate in the Miss Washington USA pageantry and this time, she won the title. Dorothy Anstett was crowned the 1968 Miss Washington USA.
Dorothy Anstett Also won Miss USA
Following her victory as Miss Washington USA, Dorothy Anstett became a contestant for the title of Miss USA the following year and on the 18th of May 1968, Dorothy Anstett was crowned Miss USA. This title earned the then 28-year-old Dorothy Anstett a place as one of the most famous people in America.
Her brains and beautiful face were not the only things that earned her the title of Miss USA, her admirable body physique did as well. Dorothy stands at a high of 5 feet 9 inches and has a body measurement of 30-25-26 (all in inches). The former beauty queen was referred to as one of the most curvaceous contestants for the 1968 Miss USA pageantry.
Following her victory as Miss USA in 1968, she represented the United States of America for the Miss Universe pageantry where she came out as the 4th runner-up.
Dorothy Anstett Wanted to be a Teacher
After Dorothy Anstett’s reign as Miss USA, not so much has been known about her. From the looks of things, she prefers to live a low-profile life. However, it is noteworthy for you to know that at the time she became Miss USA, she was still a college student and worked part-time as a tutor.
As mentioned earlier, Dorothy Anstett never intended to become a beauty queen. Her aspiration was to become a teacher after bagging her English degree. Her career as a beauty queen came as a matter of necessity and after her time as a beauty queen, we cannot say for sure whether she pursued that dream full-time.
Dorothy was Bill Russell’s Wife For Three Years
Besides her career as a beauty queen, Dorothy Anstett is also known as the ex-wife of late American basketball legend, Bill Russell. The details of their relationship have not been publicized, including how they met and how long they dated but in 1977, Dorothy Anstett and Bill Russell got married.
As as their fans settled down to relish what they expected to be a long-lasting relationship, Dorothy and Bill announced their divorce and went their separate ways in 1980, just three years after tying the knot. They had no children together.
And while there was no news of Dorothy Anstett getting married to anyone else after her divorce from Bill Russell, her ex-husband moved on and got married to a woman known as Marilyn Nault. Bill and Marilyn got married in 1996 and stayed married till 2009 when she died.
Prior to Bill Russell’s marriage to Dorothy Anstett, he was married to Rose Swisher, his college sweetheart. He shared two sons and a daughter with her.
Dorothy Anstett’s Ex-Husband, Bill Russell Died in 2022
Dorothy Anstett’s ex-husband was an NBA player who played for Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, and Seattle SuperSonics in his heydays. He was a 5-time NBA Most Valuable Player, 12-time NBA All-Star, and 3-time All-NBA First Team to mention but a few of his achievements.
After retiring as a basketball player, he went on to become a coach for the teams he played for including Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, and Sacramento Kings basketball teams. On the 31st of July 2022, Bill Russell died at his home in Mercer Island, Washington. Details about what caused his death are not available to the media.
