Doreen Joyce Shaw

You fill up my senses

Like a night in a forest

Like mountains in springtime

Like a walk in the rain

Like a storm in the desert

Like a sleepy blue ocean

You fill up my senses

Come fill me again.

(Annie’s Song - John Denver)

Doreen Joyce (McLean) Shaw passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 82 at Oak Bay Lodge, Victoria BC on July 4, 2015. Doreen was the youngest of eleven children born to Rufus and Grace (Delaney) McLean in Kendal, Saskatchewan. Doreen was predeceased by: her husband Grant Shaw (parents Elsie and Fred) in 1997; companion Marcel Droessaert in 2007; parents Rufus and Grace McLean; twin siblings John and Joan (at birth); brothers Donald (age 2), Murray, Rufe and Dean McLean; sisters Viola Powell and Iris Mills; brothers-in-law Jack Garton, Russell Powell and Ian Willey; sisters-in-law Caroline Murray, and Yvonne Lloyd (husband Trevor); and nephews Bill Shaw and Byron Mills.

Doreen is survived by: sisters Mavis Heath (twin to Iris of Regina, SK) and Jean Willey (Bellingham, WA); sisters-in-law Eva and Sophie McLean (Regina, SK); brothers-in-law Reuben Mills (Winnipeg, MB) and Al Shaw (wife Joan, Brampton, Ontario); nieces Janet, Joanne, Dorothy, Wendy (Shaw side) and Carol, Greta, Naomi, Nola, Heather, Rebecca, Vivian, Susan, Cecily, Nora, Anne (McLean side); and nephews Bob, David (Shaw side), and Claude, Garth, Garnet, Wade, Clinton and Alan (McLean side).

Doreen’s nieces’ earliest memories include parties at the McAra Street home in Regina, SK, considered by them to be the coolest home ever seen at the time, with its heated sloped driveway, two bathroom sinks, raised dining area, and a master bedroom with patio doors, that left her young nieces and nephews awestruck. There was the Tiki rec room with palm trees on teleposts where Doreen, family, and friends would sing, play, and just goof off. There was the “Shaw Castle” at Sandy Beach with the little icebox fridge, and the large pane of glass that was shattered by a ball thrown by her nephew, Clinton!

There was Doreen’s chocolate rum triple-layer cake that she allowed her young nieces and nephews to enjoy, her wholesome bread that she placed in rewashed and reused baggies, the orange juice she served whipped and frothy, thimble cookies that she taught her niece Vivian to make and that she fondly called “geeeeks” cookies because she “geeeeksed” them with her finger while poking Vivian in the belly. She had her “beauty centre” lined up perfectly in her bathroom drawer, with Vivian staring in awe at her as she applied make-up and styled her hair. “Doreen was like a movie star”, with her Holiday Magic sales kit becoming Vivian’s Barbie Doll case, and later her daughter’s. And Doreen was the first to pluck niece Heather’s eyebrows – “ouch”, as Heather puts it to this day! And to this day, Vivian regards Doreen as the social convener of the family. Doreen loved to entertain, and rarely went anywhere without her guitar. She loved to sing, with “Annie’s Song” being her most remembered.

Doreen and Grant were to fall in love and marry in their home province of Saskatchewan, later moving to Vancouver Island where they lived in an adorable house on Emard Terrace near Sydney. The home was frequented by visiting family members and friends, and is remembered for its warmth and hospitality, eastward view of Mount Washington and the San Juan Islands, and the huge deck, bright sun room, and lovely guest room that so many enjoyed. In later years after losing Grant, Doreen was to leave Emard Terrace, and upon a companionship that blossomed with Marcel, would spend many more happy years in the Victoria area.

Doreen loved nature and beautiful gardens, but as Vivian recalls hated chickweed. She had a load of dirt delivered that was full of it! Doreen would happily traipse around Victoria with visitors discovering the Fable Cottage, historic sites, haunted castles, Old English pubs, as well as nearby Butchart Gardens and Salt Spring Island. There were visits to and from Campbell River where Heather resided, trips to and from Comox for visits with Bob and family, and earlier Janet and family, trips to and from Bellingham for visits with her sister Jean, brother- in-law Ian, and nieces Cecily and Susan, visits back to her home turf in Saskatchewan to see her family and friends there, and trips to and from Ontario and more eastern locales for visits with the other Shaw family members.

Doreen was always there for her family and friends. While living at Emard Terrace, she provided her nephew Bob a home away from home during two summers of work on Vancouver Island, a time when he developed a special bond with both Doreen and Grant. In her later years, as she required more care, Bob was always there for Doreen, helping her wherever it was needed, and providing her with care and comfort until the end. On the Shaw side of the family, Doreen was also a great-aunt to Bob’s son Liam (who grew up on the Island), was a loving aunt to her nieces Janet (who began her nursing career on the Island), Joanne (Grant’s little princess), Dorothy (visiting from Vancouver to care for Doreen with parents Al and Joan, and later, near Doreen’s passing, to sit at her bedside at Oak Bay Lodge), and Wendy (who she and Grant were so close to in her early years), and to her proud nephews Bill, David and Bob.

There were many other nieces, nephews and other relatives from the McLean family side, all of whom Doreen deeply cared for. Cousins Gwen and Joyce whose hearts were always with Doreen, nephew Claude who would visit from Vancouver from time to time, and other relatives that sent birthday and Christmas cards that were eventually to fill Doreen’s cork board at Oak Bay Lodge. Such was the outpouring of feelings from the McLean family, who collectively have shared so many warm thoughts and memories of Doreen. Doreen was always generous with those in her life. Her niece Heather recalls Doreen’s generosity at Christmas which enabled her and her sister Rebecca to buy presents for their mother.

Doreen also had wonderful and supportive friends: Betty (Al Shaw’s first cousin) and Fred (Whitey) Severson, along with their caring daughter Cherlynn that were so wonderful to Doreen to the very end (of Whitey, Doreen once wrote a poem “Lacrosse, Lacrosse, a pain in the Cosse”); Noel and Donna Brampston; Norm and Joan Cunningham; Paulette and Suzanne; the bowling gang; her choir groups; and the Victoria-based crew from Saskatchewan that would get together for whooping Grey Cup parties! Also there for Doreen as time passed was Jo-anne Gilmour Kyne (her long-time companion and care aide), the wonderful people at Beacon Community Services, the great staff and volunteers at Oak Bay Lodge, and Pete (resident of Oak Bay Lodge) who would sit at her door and say what a sweetie she was, and that she would be alright tomorrow!

Doreen also had a love and passion for animals, several of which she rescued, including her cat Binky who was fed packaged meat as a treat. Niece Vivian remembers saying that Doreen’s cat Binky, as well as pets Herbie and Tuppy “sure had it made!”, as was the case for any other animal lucky enough to know Doreen.

But life was not always a party. Doreen cared deeply not only about her family and friends, but about the humanity of the world around her. She worried about the well-being of strangers, and to her last day sponsored a child through World Vision. She suffered the loss of her husband Grant, later her companion Marcel, her parents, and eight of her ten siblings. However Doreen met challenges full steam ahead, completing a Medical Librarian course as an adult, to be followed by her work at the hospital. She never lost her loud boisterous laugh, and always had a zest for life. She was always active and loved to exercise, whether walking, biking, or swimming. She loved to be in the water. She also loved to travel, Hawaii being a favorite destination, and a place she enjoyed many times with Grant and their good friends Betty and Whitey.

Whether on Vancouver Island or in Saskatchewan, Doreen had a morning ritual of running on the spot in the bathroom! Despite her love of Victoria and passing of time there, Doreen never lost her yearning for Saskatchewan. Her ashes are wished to be spread in the wind, some over a gentle ocean swell near Victoria, and others over fertile fields in Saskatchewan, some travelling with the currents to unknown places, some perhaps joining Grant in the Katepwa Valley, and others perhaps landing where life began for her in her hometown of Kendal.

Doreen will be missed by all those friends and family members that had the privilege of knowing and loving her.

For Doreen has filled all our hearts.

We love you Doreen, sleep well!

Although no service is to be held by request, memories and condolences may be shared on the First Memorial website (firstmemorialfuneral.com) together with these memories of Doreen. Memories and condolences may also be shared at legacy.com and leaderpost.com/remembering , where Doreen’s newspaper obituary will be held for one year. Donations in memory of Doreen may be made to the Victoria SPCA and World Vision Canada.