Dorothy Marlene Beattie (nee Nichol)
Dorothy passed away peacefully, as she wished, on September 30th at Innisfree House, Kitchener, Ontario.
She was born in Winnipeg, October 6, 1940, the youngest child of Annie (Johanna) and Edward Nichol. Tired of the cold Manitoba winters, her father moved the family to Vancouver where she spent her teens, graduated from nursing, and began her career at VGH. Looking for opportunities to further her nursing career, she moved across the country in 1964 to attend McGill University where she completed her nursing degree. After graduation, with her best friend Jean McLeay (2019), she moved to Toronto to teach at Toronto General Hospital. Through friends, she re-connected with Fred whom she had first met in 1963 on a Nile River cruise in Egypt while attending a Baptist World Youth Conference.
Dorothy was the beloved wife of Fred for 54 years, most loving and supportive Mom to Laura (Loel Hilliard) and Karen (Brent Warriner), and incredibly proud Nannie of Sophie, Myles and Freddie. She was the special little sister of Erna Daum, Margaret Loewen, Violet Nichol, and Elmer (Al) Nichol. She cherished her many nieces and nephews “out west”, and their children. Dorothy was blessed with an incredibly diverse and rewarding nursing career after her girls were school-aged. She worked first as a private duty nurse before transitioning to research at ICES, then Cardiology at TGH. She continued in research after moving to London (1996), where she worked at LHSC in Orthopedics, Nuclear Medicine, and Psychiatry. She loved her nursing career and felt privileged and blessed to be on the cutting edge of new treatments for her beloved patients. Following retirement, Dorothy and Fred moved to Kitchener in 2008 to be close to their daughters and grandchildren.
While she loved her career, her family and friends were her first love and top priority. She was an active member and volunteer at Cognashene Community Church, Yorkminster Park Baptist Church (Toronto), Westview Baptist Church (London) and Highland Baptist Church (Kitchener). She loved flowers and being outdoors, curling at the Cricket Club, spending time with friends, sewing, baking and helping others whenever she saw a need. She and Fred traveled the world with special friends but her most favourite place was their cottage on Georgian Bay, where she loved to watch the diamonds on the water.
Deepest gratitude to Dr. Cameron and Chantelle, and the exceptional caregivers at Innisfree House. Cremation has taken place. Donations in memory may be made to Highland Baptist Church or the Alzheimer’s Society (Waterloo Wellington).
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 21st, 2023 at 2:30 pm at Highland Baptist Church, Kitchener. A reception will follow. The service will be live streamed. For information, contact the family.
Messages and condolences may be left for the family at www.tricitycremations.com. Please visit Dorothy's obituary notice on Facebook.