Dorothy Rushton Lawson

Aged 97, died peacefully on September 24, 2025 in Parkland at the Gardens. Born December 17, 1927 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, she was the youngest child of David McGlashan Clunie and May Clunie (Rushton).

Notable childhood highlights included regular after school visits to her father's wholesale confectionary business where she was happy to provide quality control services, and running smack into Queen Mary during the 1938 Glasgow Exhibition.

Dorothy attended the Lancashire College of Agriculture at Hutton, and then worked for a time at Holker Hall Estate in Cark-In-Cartmel, where she worked on the farm and taught riding to young Hugh, the current Baron Cavendish of Furness. In 1950 she married Bruce Lawson, also of Bolton, and they emigrated to Canada in March of 1952, aboard the Ascania, arriving through Pier 21. Both had jobs in Halifax the next day. Over the next few years they lived in various locales in Quebec and BC due to Bruce's work as a marine engineer, and had two children.

After a return visit of the whole family to the UK by ship, they settled permanently in Halifax in 1960. Having come through Pier 21 herself, Dorothy volunteered there in the sixties as a member of the Red Cross Corps, assisting new immigrants. The family always enjoyed travel, camping all over Eastern North America with the kids, and then taking trips with Bruce to Europe, the Soviet Union and the Far East.

After Bruce died Dorothy took yearly solo trips to the UK well into her eighties, to visit her sister Joan. After developing dementia, she moved to Parkland at the Gardens. A lifelong walker, Dorothy enjoyed near daily walks in the Public Gardens with daughter Valerie, often sipping hot cocoa there in the winter. Also in the Gardens she would often chat with fellow Lancastrian, Captain Ted Worthington, known as the mayor of Spring Garden Rd, before he passed away.

Dorothy had many and varied jobs throughout her life, including at Sears, Statistics Canada and the Red Cross, and was a longtime volunteer with the Red Cross and then the Mission to Seafarers.

She is survived by daughter Valerie, daughter-in-law Judy Taylor (Philip Evans), grandson Taylor Lawson, all of Halifax, also nieces and nephews in the UK.

She was predeceased by husband Bruce, son David, and her brother Ron and sister Joan in the UK.

The family would like to thank all the staff of Parkland at the Gardens, particularly the second floor staff, for their exemplary care of Dorothy. She remained feisty until the end, some might even say obstreperous, but she was never boring. She will be missed.

Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Red Cross or a charity of your choice.

An informal celebration of her life with family and friends will be held at Parkland at the Gardens, 5230 College St on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 from 2PM to 4PM.