Obituary for Dorothy Jean Street (Collins)
STREET, Dorothy Jean
Passed away peacefully, after an unsuccessful battle with Covid, at Southlake Hospital in Newmarket on Sunday, January 15, 2023, in her 94th year.
Loving mother of William (Cathy) and the late Stephen. Grandmother to Stephen and Christine (Peter). Great-grandmother to Jordyn and Kylie. Sister to the late Jack and loving daughter of the late Gordon and Pearl Collins.
Dorothy was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She completed business training at Shaw's Business College in Toronto. In the next few years her skills and knowledge expanded with firms such as Massey-Harris, B-A Oil and Thomas J. Lipton.
Dorothy joined the Richmond Hill School Board (RHSB) in 1957, one month after her oldest son William was born. She worked from an office set up in her basement until at least 1962. Her work included a host of duties that today would take a team of people to accomplish. All this while juggling work and a household. She was a true trailblazer.
Dorothy progressed to become the Business Administrator of RHSB in 1968 after completing correspondence courses to obtain her Business Administration degree. On Jan 1, 1971, all school boards in York County were amalgamated to form the York County Board of Education. Headquarters were built on Wellington St. in Aurora. Dorothy worked as executive assistant to the Director until retiring in 1989.
Dorothy was a long standing member of the York Highlands chapter of Sweet Adelines and was a member of an award-winning barbershop quartet called "The Unitones".
Dorothy was a keen and high ranking bridge player. She loved teaching bridge and helping with tournaments. She was a long time member of the Aurora Bridge Club. A die hard Blue Jays fan, she attended many spring training games in Florida and tried to never miss their games on radio or TV. After her retirement, she actually started a small business for a short time selling Blue Jays watches.
Dorothy had a very difficult time in 1990, as tragedy struck when she lost three family members in a very short time: her mother on June 21 and the very next day her youngest son Stephen. Her father passed on July 14. Her only sibling, Jack, passed in 1985.
Dorothy tried her hand at many things. She was a Returning Officer in federal elections. In her 80's, she taught ESL (English as a second language). At age 90, she became a member of the York Region Police Chorus, something she was particularly proud of.
Dorothy volunteered in many places; Southlake Emergency for 15 years, the Newmarket Theatre, a homeless shelter, a driver for cancer patients (Dorothy had beaten cancer herself twice) and many times giving rides for church, shopping, doctors’ appointments and errands. She was always willing to lend a helping hand.
Dorothy also loved to travel, and has been to England, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Alaska and many other places in the United States and around the world. She loved her cruise ship trips.
A story about Dorothy in the Richmond Hill newspaper “The Liberal” from 1961, included “Happiness, she thinks, is a busy and intelligent life. She feels that if a person has the proper health, work, interests, friendships and the pursuit of an ideal, he is a pretty safe bet for society. She notes that for a happy life we must realize ourselves as a whole, not in just one or other of the parts.” Safe to say she lived to meet those ideals.
The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at Southlake Hospital for the care Dorothy received, under especially trying conditions. Special thanks for all the phone calls and emails from Dorothy's many friends.
Visitation on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, from 7:00-9:00 pm at Roadhouse & Rose Funeral Home, 157 Main St. S, Newmarket. Cremation will have already taken place.
Funeral service will be held on Thursday, January 26th at 11:00 am at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 17955 Leslie St, Newmarket.
Click Here to Watch the Livestream
Interment to take place at a later date at St. John's Catholic Cemetery.
Online condolences and memories of Dorothy can be shared at www.roadhouseandrose.com
Passed away peacefully, after an unsuccessful battle with Covid, at Southlake Hospital in Newmarket on Sunday, January 15, 2023, in her 94th year.
Loving mother of William (Cathy) and the late Stephen. Grandmother to Stephen and Christine (Peter). Great-grandmother to Jordyn and Kylie. Sister to the late Jack and loving daughter of the late Gordon and Pearl Collins.
Dorothy was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. She completed business training at Shaw's Business College in Toronto. In the next few years her skills and knowledge expanded with firms such as Massey-Harris, B-A Oil and Thomas J. Lipton.
Dorothy joined the Richmond Hill School Board (RHSB) in 1957, one month after her oldest son William was born. She worked from an office set up in her basement until at least 1962. Her work included a host of duties that today would take a team of people to accomplish. All this while juggling work and a household. She was a true trailblazer.
Dorothy progressed to become the Business Administrator of RHSB in 1968 after completing correspondence courses to obtain her Business Administration degree. On Jan 1, 1971, all school boards in York County were amalgamated to form the York County Board of Education. Headquarters were built on Wellington St. in Aurora. Dorothy worked as executive assistant to the Director until retiring in 1989.
Dorothy was a long standing member of the York Highlands chapter of Sweet Adelines and was a member of an award-winning barbershop quartet called "The Unitones".
Dorothy was a keen and high ranking bridge player. She loved teaching bridge and helping with tournaments. She was a long time member of the Aurora Bridge Club. A die hard Blue Jays fan, she attended many spring training games in Florida and tried to never miss their games on radio or TV. After her retirement, she actually started a small business for a short time selling Blue Jays watches.
Dorothy had a very difficult time in 1990, as tragedy struck when she lost three family members in a very short time: her mother on June 21 and the very next day her youngest son Stephen. Her father passed on July 14. Her only sibling, Jack, passed in 1985.
Dorothy tried her hand at many things. She was a Returning Officer in federal elections. In her 80's, she taught ESL (English as a second language). At age 90, she became a member of the York Region Police Chorus, something she was particularly proud of.
Dorothy volunteered in many places; Southlake Emergency for 15 years, the Newmarket Theatre, a homeless shelter, a driver for cancer patients (Dorothy had beaten cancer herself twice) and many times giving rides for church, shopping, doctors’ appointments and errands. She was always willing to lend a helping hand.
Dorothy also loved to travel, and has been to England, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Alaska and many other places in the United States and around the world. She loved her cruise ship trips.
A story about Dorothy in the Richmond Hill newspaper “The Liberal” from 1961, included “Happiness, she thinks, is a busy and intelligent life. She feels that if a person has the proper health, work, interests, friendships and the pursuit of an ideal, he is a pretty safe bet for society. She notes that for a happy life we must realize ourselves as a whole, not in just one or other of the parts.” Safe to say she lived to meet those ideals.
The family wishes to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at Southlake Hospital for the care Dorothy received, under especially trying conditions. Special thanks for all the phone calls and emails from Dorothy's many friends.
Visitation on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, from 7:00-9:00 pm at Roadhouse & Rose Funeral Home, 157 Main St. S, Newmarket. Cremation will have already taken place.
Funeral service will be held on Thursday, January 26th at 11:00 am at St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 17955 Leslie St, Newmarket.
Click Here to Watch the Livestream
Interment to take place at a later date at St. John's Catholic Cemetery.
Online condolences and memories of Dorothy can be shared at www.roadhouseandrose.com