Doris Christina NIAS

ABSON, Doris (1922 - 2008) On December 24, after a feisty and dignified battle with Alzheimer's disease, just one month after the death of her beloved husband, Jim, Doris Christina Abson (Nias) of Wakefield, Quebec, by way of London, Ottawa, and Orangeville. Lovely mother of Michael (Esther Schmidlin) of Switzerland, Jan (Cameron Haig) of Vancouver, and Jill (Colin MacWhirter) of Montreal; adoring grandmother of Jenna Haig, Devon Abson and Kyla Haig; aunt of Susan Marshall Profitt (Allen Profitt) of Charlottetown, and Bill Reeson (Sue) of High Wycombe, England, and many great nieces and nephews; predeceased by her sister Joan. Dori was a motorcycle dispatch rider with the English National Fire Service during World War II. This left her with a rather unlikely life-long love of motocross. She came to Canada as a war bride, and was married for 63 years to a man she had only known in England for 6 weeks. A landscape watercolourist, she was one of the founders of the Galerie Old Chelsea and for 22 years she was the indispensable head volunteer at the Wakefield Memorial Hospital, where she would ultimately spend the last 18 months of her life. She painted beautiful skies, she unaccountably loved opera and was a shockingly good dancer, she skied, she knitted, she read voraciously, she rescued animals, and she was there for anybody that needed help. Her dress sense was legendary. A heartfelt thank you to Martine and all of the amazingly compassionate and professional staff in long-term care at the Wakefield Hospital - where would we have been without you? Bye Mom, we love you and miss you. A joint memorial service for Jim and Dori Abson will be held in April; date and time to be announced. Donations to Friends of Abandoned Pets, 613-729-9820. Published in the Ottawa Citizen from 12/30/2008- 12/31/2008