Then in 1979, mini-Centerfolds of all of Playboy's Playmates up to then were published in the magazine's 25th Anniversary issue, and Mr. Hefner hosted a Playmate Reunion at Playboy Mansion West. I got a phone call from my second son -- who at that time was away at college -- saying, "Mom, I have some news about your past." He remembered that I'd told the kids that I had modeled for a few years under the name Dolores Del Monte, and he told me that I was Playboy's Miss March 1954. I was disappointed that I'd missed the reunion, so I sent in a letter with a current photo of myself, and the magazine published it in the "Missing Playmates Bureau" in the October 1980 issue.
At that time, I was living with my second husband in Beaverton, Oregon,
but after he died I ended up moving to Southern California and didn't send Playboy a forwarding address. So by the time The Playmate Book was published in 1996, Playboy had lost track of me again! Soon after the book came out, my son's fiancée surprised me with the news that he'd written to Playboy about me. So I decided to contact Playboy's offices out here in California. They invited me to Victoria Silvstedt's Playmate of the Year party in May 1997 -- my first trip to the Mansion! It was also my first meeting with Mr. Hefner. He remembered the letter I had sent him years ago when my son found me in the magazine. He then surprised and thrilled me at the party by giving me my first grand introduction to the audience. Since then I have attended Glamourcons and made friends with many other Playmates. I especially enjoy the Mansion parties. Mr. Hefner certainly knows how to throw a great party, and he is always so warm and friendly!
