Dorothy Blanche Britton

(SOLBERG)

At her home in Sanford, on the morning of September 16, 2014, Dorothy Britton, quietly and peacefully, lost her seven year battle with cancer.

Those who shared her life will fondly remember her, including her husband of 53 years, Ron; her daughter Tina (Greg); her son Chris (Cheryl); her grandchildren Kevin (Karina), Lisa (Dave), Tony and Nick; her great granddaughter Kailey; her brother, Sheldon (Amy); her brother-in-law Rick (Marlene); her niece, Melissa (Devin); and her nephew Warren (Ashley). She was predeceased by her father (Andrew), her mother (Blanche) and two brothers, Harold and Roger.

Dorothy was born on the family farm near Milestone, Saskatchewan on May 9, 1941. She grew up in and around the Milestone community and was active in various organizations. The CGIT program attracted a great deal of her attention, and she ultimately served on the provincial council. At a local Saturday night dance in late 1956, she met Ron, and their relationship grew from there. They were married in 1961 and started their family shortly after. From the very beginning family was her priority. She was able to create a home anywhere they went, from a basement in Saskatoon, to a rental house in England, to student housing in Texas, and other places in between, finally settling in Sanford.

Everyone recognized Dorothy’s creativity in her painting, her pottery, her sewing, her cooking and many other media. She could create a banquet for her family at a moment’s notice and decorate a space on the spur of the moment.

Once her children had grown she explored the working world outside her home. She went back to school and trained as a travel agent and spent a dozen years helping others explore the world, and sharing trips with Ron that didn’t involve a moving van. When grandchildren began arriving she reverted to gramma mode and that led to many trips to the Theater for Young People, the Symphony, and numerous sporting events. Her grandchildren all speak fondly of New Year’s Eve parties, sleepovers, ginger bread house construction, and sitting in her rocker with her. Thanksgiving getaways to Lake of the Woods produced precious memories for everyone as the family continued to grow.

A recent message from a cousin sums up who she was. “We remember Dorothy for her beauty, for the grace with which she aged, for her life-long dedication to you, your children and your grandchildren, for her never-failing kindness to your mom, for the beautiful artwork and crafts that she created, for her great cooking, and for her strength and resilience in her recurring bouts with cancer.”

A service to honour Dorothy’s life will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at Thomson “In the Park” Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Boulevard.

Dorothy could always count on the support of friends and neighbours. We would like to acknowledge her lifelong friends Marge LaFoy and Betty Wedge. Elaine Cockerill’s support, particularly on September 16th, will always be remembered. We would also like to thank the staff Cancer Care Manitoba, in particular Dr. Harding and Kristie Morydz, and Dr. Tan and Dr. Smal for the care and compassion shown to Dorothy.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Cancer Care Manitoba, the Ron & Dorothy Britton Design Engineering Bursary at the University of Manitoba (umanitoba.ca/giving), or a charity of your choice.