DOROTHY DESPINS (BRADY)

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DOROTHY DESPINS

Dorothy Isobel (nee Brady) Despins passed away on February 11, 2023, in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the age of 93.
Dorothy was born on November 12, 1929 in Winnipeg to Scottish immigrants Mary and John Brady. Her father passed away at a young age, and she was raised by Mary Brady with her older brother James and sister Eileen. She was close to both siblings, and mourned the passing of James when he lost his life during the Second World War in active duty with the Winnipeg Grenadiers in Hong Kong. She had fond memories of growing up in Elmwood where she played baseball and participated in speed skating on the school teams.
After finishing school, Dorothy worked at Great West Life and married George Despins in 1951. They started their family in Winnipeg, but George's work took them to Port Arthur, ON, Whitemouth, MB, and Gimli, MB, before returning to Winnipeg in 1965. While living in these small towns, Dorothy took up curling and became active in the Women's Catholic League, which inspired her eventual conversion to Catholicism.
Back in Winnipeg, while raising her family of six in Willow Park, Dorothy worked for Eatons and ultimately found her niche as a teacher's assistant at Florence Nightingale and David Livingstone Elementary Schools. Her high regard for education and love of children made this her most rewarding work. Living in Manitoba, she enjoyed the outdoors while camping and hiking with her family and friends. She was heavily involved in community initiatives and volunteered at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church and Shaughnessy Park Community School. She even found time to be a Brownie Leader in the Girl Guide program.
Dorothy spent her retirement in Qualicum Beach, BC, where she had more time to curl, walk, hike and volunteer at the Roman Catholic Church of the Ascension. Her Scottish heritage gave her a strong will and a determined character. This was best demonstrated when, in her 70s, she fought and won the fight of her life with breast cancer. As a cancer survivor, she joined a woman's dragon boat team which raised funds for breast cancer research and support for its victims. Their dragon boat team competed in numerous fund-raising events including international competitions in Canada, Australia, Singapore and Switzerland.
Dorothy moved back to Winnipeg in her later years to be closer to family. With age, she experienced the effects of dementia, but she never submitted to forgetting the faces and names of her many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her life spanned nine decades and her selfless nature and generosity made her a role model to many. Although she suffered some great losses during her life, she remained an independent woman with a strong moral compass and an unwavering empathic will. She will be forever remembered by all who were lucky enough to be part of her circle of family and friends.
She was predeceased by her daughter, Barbara Anne, in 1984, her sister, Eileen Presley, and nephews, Jimmy and Barry Presley. Dorothy is survived by five children, 18 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren along with many nieces and nephews.
Children: Greg (Brenda, Vivian), Barbara (Larry), Robert (Lucy), Todd (Louise), David (Pam), Michele (Chris).
Grandchildren: Tara, Tricia, Sean, Samantha, Kelli, Kyle, Kira, Lenai, Chanelle, Dane, Gage, Lucas, Janessa, Jaclyn, Danika, McKenna, Jenna, Steven.
Great-Grandchildren: Azure, Marley, Jacob, Scott, Kayla, Aurora, Julian, Levi. Great-Great-Grandchildren: Florence, Rigid, Roman.
The family would like to thank the staff at Amber Meadows, Beacon Hill Lodge and Middlechurch for the care they provided to Dorothy in her later years.
A celebration of Dorothy's incredible life will be planned for the summer of 2023.
In lieu of flowers, Dorothy's wish was to support the work of the Canadian Cancer Society.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 18, 2023