DOROTHY MARGARET CORY

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DOROTHY MARGARET CORY On June 5, 2006 at Concordia Hospital, after many years of suffering from the debilitating effects of Parkinson's disease, Dorothy Margaret Cory, at the age of 79. Dorothy is survived by her six children and their families, daughters, Alexis (husband Peter, sons Brad and Cory, daughter Summer), Sharon (husband Mike, sons Gabriel (Alanna), Simon (Lisa) and Emmanuel), Wendy (daughter Dharma (Steve), grandson Cedar), Pamela (husband Garnet, son Damon (Crystal), Cynthia (husband Cory, daughter Crystal, son Ryan), son Michael (wife Sharon). Dorothy was predeceased by her husband Alex, her mother Dorothy Albon and her daughter Catherine. Mom was an amazing woman, strong-willed and proud. Born in 1927 to our grandmother, a British immigrant, she endured the early loss of her father. Due to hard times, she boarded in her early life, with the Gentes family in St. Boniface and being part of that large, loving French family was significant in her life. She was bright and pretty and had an amazing voice with ambitions to go to Hollywood, but at 16, during the war, she left school to work in a factory. She lost half of her left hand in an accident, another significant event. She had a wide circle of friends, most of them working class children of immigrants and through them, she met her future husband, Alex. They married in 1947 and settled in a small house in Fort Garry. Like so many of their generation, they gave up all their dreams and ambitions as one child after another came along, seven in fact. The death of her daughter Catherine in 1955 broke her heart and spirit for many years but she rebounded and eventually went to work as a waitress, being a happy fixture at the Pancake House in Fort Garry for years. Mom and Dad worked so hard for so many years but life got easier as all the kids left home and when Dad retired, they had a chance to relax and finally do what they wanted to do. But he died soon after retirement and she was unfortunately beset by Parkinson's. She struggled, however, to retain her independent spirit, and stayed on Waterford Avenue living next door to her best friend Mae Hopps. Her last few years were spent at Lions Manor and we will be forever grateful to the wonderful staff for their loving kindness. Mom worried a lot in the last year that her life had been unsuccessful, as she had not been able to fulfill the dreams she had from her youth. With our father and her husband gone from our lives, she had talked about wishing that she had been better educated, as she thought that she could have guided her children better. But we disagree, as she taught us the important things in life: No one ever died from saying please and thank you. Make the best of what you've got... don't cry over what you haven't got. Finish it today..don't wait til tomorrow. Hold your head high and walk as though the world belongs to you. Keep your room clean and your house in order. Never let anyone treat you like you're nothing. Pretty good lessons from a woman who felt that she hadn't accomplished enough. But she was something all right and her words will be a guidepost for us and for our children forever. Thank you to the caring staff at Concordia for trying to ease her pain this last month. At Dorothy's request, a private family gathering will be held. Anyone so wishing may make a donation in her memory to the Parkinson Society of Canada. Goodbye Dotty...Love you forever.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 10, 2006