Dorothy Isobel Fraser

Dorothy Isobel Fraser was born on December 18, 1934. She was named after two aunts; Dorothy Thomas and Isobel Hardy and was the middle child of five children born to parents Miriam and George Hardy of Eva Street in Sudbury, Ontario. She attended College Street Public School and then Sudbury High School. She was a cheerful student, fairly well behaved and bright enough to pass without much effort. Her father taught her to value honesty while her mother taught her to value beauty; in music or in the environment. In her parents Dorothy most loved her father's sense of humour and her mother enduring optimism. Dorothy described her teenage years as stormy, unsettled and rebellious. After high school Dorothy worked for a year at Muirhead's Book Store before attending Queen Elizabeth Hospital of Montreal in 1956 to study nursing. 

In 1959 Dorothy gave birth to her son, Kevin. In 1960 she began working as a registered nurse at Royal Edward Laurentian Hospital in Montreal and in 1961 gave birth to her daughter, Kathryn. As a registered nurse Dorothy also worked at Copper Cliff Hospital in Copper Cliff and St. Joseph's Hospital in Peterborough. In 1968 Dorothy was awarded her Occupations Teaching Certificate through the University of Toronto. In 1973 Dorothy went to Great Britain and took a course in early childhood education which steered her toward specialization. She then specialized in early childhood education and special education. In 1981 Dorothy received her Special Education Specialist certificate from Queens University and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton University. Dorothy went on to make a career out of teaching in Arnprior, Ottawa, Bermuda, Thailand and Hong Kong including the University of Hong Kong.

Dorothy retired to Wilson Creek, it being close in proximity to her daughter’s and son’s families. First attracted to the Festival of the Written Arts, Dorothy quickly joined the arts communities initially where there was a food service being offered. Dorothy’s prowess in the kitchen was a reputation well earned but Dorothy had a lifetime’s experience to share with the organizations and people with whom she volunteered. Dorothy volunteered with the Festival of the Written Arts, the Music Festival, the Canadian Federation of University Women, the BC Retired Teachers Association, the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire, Sechelt RCMP’s Citizens on Patrol, the Sechelt Arts Centre, Friends of the Library, the Women’s Investment Group, the Arts Council, the Craft Fair, the Sechelt Seniors of course, the Red Hats, and the Gibsons & District Chamber of Commerce’s Travel Ambassadors program becoming their longest serving member. Dorothy volunteered in many other clubs, societies and endeavours; she acted in dinner theatre, wrote a novel and gardened when she wasn’t otherwise engaged. Through it all, Dorothy’s willingness to help, friendly disposition and engaging sense of humour stayed with her to her end.

Dorothy's celebration of life will take place on Saturday, October 27th at 2 pm at the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre.

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