Dorothy STUART

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

STUART: Dorothy Stuart passed away after a courageous and lengthy battle with cancer. She will be greatly missed by her son Larry (Linda) Stuart andhis children Tammy (Jeff), Susan, Clint (Claire) and Tom; and by her daughter Cheryl (Roger) Winger and her children, Bart (Candice), Jordan and great granddaughter Suki. Dorothy will also be missed by her extended family, surviving friends and her faithful dog (Lucky). Dorothy was born on October 27, 1919 in Grandview, Manitoba. Her parents, aunts and uncles homesteaded in the Roblin, Grandview and Gilbert Plains area. She had one brother, George Irvan McCrae, who was killed in action in 1944. Dorothy received her complete education at the Grandview District School. In 1941 she married John Stuart. After the war, Johnny worked as a mechanic in Grandview and Gilbert Plains and then in Benito as an electrician. The family moved to Alberta where Johnny worked in the oil fields. In 1956, they purchased the Anglo gas station on the corner of #5 and #366 in Grandview. This became known as "Johnny's Service". Dorothy worked hard managing the station, caring for her children and taking care of her very large garden. In 1989, after Johnny passed away, she moved to Headingley, Manitoba where she lived in her "Granny House" with the Stuart family for 20 years. Her final years were spent in Brandon with Cheryl and Roger. Dorothy had a very positive attitude about life. She always said, " There is no sense in worrying or complaining about things", and she never did. She was also extremely hard working and always exceeded expectations in everything she worked at throughout her life. Dorothy was a very loving and caring person who enjoyed spoiling her family. While living in Headingley, she frequently prepared meals and had them ready as family returned home from work and school. Her grandson, Tom, lived in her home with her for many years. Dorothy loved to spoil him with breakfast in bed! She provided her grandchildren with music lessons and spent countless hours baking for her family and telling stories. She loved to reminisce about her life experiences. She led by example and encouraged her children and grandchildren to work hard, be positive and to be kind to others. Gardening and cooking were two of Dorothy's hobbies and she excelled at them. Fruit trees and flowers flourished in her gardens. She was a wealth of information and took such pride in being able to make even the most stubborn plants grow! Canning and preserving were a labour of love. She loved to pick her own berries and even in 2009 was out picking strawberries and black currants! She made the best pies, cakes, and jams and her family loved them. No celebration or holiday was complete without all of the fixings. Her Christmas pudding was a family favourite. Dorothy was intelligent and witty and always looked for new challenges to keep her mind active. When she wasn't cooking or gardening she enjoyed playing cribbage, spite and malice or a picture puzzle. She looked forward to the Winnipeg Free Press crosswords, crypto-quotes and in recent years even the sudoku puzzles. Dorothy was athletic. She played baseball in her younger years and was passionate about curling. She rarely missed watching the Manitoba curling teams on TV and was actively involved in the sport. She enjoyed curling with her friends and competing in bonspiels in Winnipeg and around the province. She was even in the Golden Girls Provincials when she was in her 70's! Dorothy remained physically active up until the last few months of her life. Even in her late 80s she enjoyed walking to get the newspaper, taking her dog "Lucky" out for a walk in the yard and when no one was looking even climbing on top of chairs to pick apples from her fruit trees. She was a strong woman in many ways and was always determined to continue to do as much for herself as she possibly could. She was very proud of her family and sang their praises every chance she got. They are all so grateful for the support she has given them over the years. She was always there with a smile, a pizza bun, a rhubarb pie or a word of praise. Grandma, we will keep you in our hearts always. You played such a big role in making us who we are. The way you lived your life and the person you were is an inspiration to us all. A service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at Memories Chapel, 330 - 18th Street North, Brandon, Manitoba. In lieu of flowers the family asks that a donation be made in Dorothy's honour to the Brandon Regional Health Centre, Western Manitoba Cancer Care Project, 150 McTavish Avenue East, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 2B3 or CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3B 0V9. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.memorieschapel.com.Arrangements are with Memories Chapel & Pre-Planning Centre, 727-0330.

As published in Brandon Sun on Nov 05, 2010