Obituary of Dorothy Lynn Stonehouse

STONEHOUSE, Dorothy Lynn

July 19, 1924 – December 28, 2019

Passed away at Woodhaven Nursing Home on Saturday, December 28th at the age of 95. Predeceased by her loving husband, Johnny. She was a caring and loving Mom to Stephen (Donna), Brian (Nancy) and Michael (Shalegh). She was a devoted Grandma to Catharine, Sara, Ann, Emily, and Andrew, and Great-Grandmother to Brayden, Gavin, Reilynn, Zachary, Ashtyn, Connor and Brienne. She will be sadly missed by her family and friends. Dorothy was one of sixteen children born to Anne Carrie and Ben Ross. She grew up in Florence, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Her dad was a coal miner and she always said she was his favorite and loved to tell stories about him and her childhood. At the age of 18, she decided to take a train and head for Toronto, much to the consternation of her parents. She arrived safely in Toronto and found a home with a Catholic hostel. She took a job working at the Ajax Munition Plant, helping with the war effort. It was at the ammunition plant that she developed hearing problems that plagued her throughout her life, due to the detonators that would sometimes accidentally go off during production. Luckily though, the Ammunition Plant is also where she met her beloved Johnny, whom she married in 1946. Two years later, Stephen arrived, followed shortly by Brian. Her youngest son Michael was born seven years later. Dorothy and Johnny raised their small family at 4 Delwood Drive in Scarborough, before moving to Markham in the early 70’s. After Johnny retired from IBM, he and Dorothy became snowbirds, wintering in Florida. They also bought a small camper van to travel and enjoy Canada’s many national and provincial parks in the summer months. Dorothy and Johnny enjoyed playing cards, hosting parties and going on trips with their many close friends and family. The couple had a wild sense of humour and were often the life of the party. Dorothy and Johnny eventually moved into a condo at Waldon Pond (in Markham) and lived happily there for a number of years. After losing Johnny, Dorothy continued at the condo until her health began to decline. For the past eight and a half years, Dorothy called Woodhaven Nursing Home in Markham her home. A special thank you to the staff on the Unionvilla Ward, who treated our Mom Dorothy kindly, gently and with care. We appreciated all the kindness, compassion and help that was shown by the staff during Dorothy's final days. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Patrick’s Parish, 5633 Hwy 7, Markham on Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 10 am. A reception will follow at Dixon-Garland Funeral Home, 166 Main St. N. (Markham Rd.), Markham at 11:30 am. Interment at Ebenezer Cemetery, corner of Steeles and Brimley, will take place after the reception. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer Society or St. Vincent de Paul.