Category: B

Honoured by her six children

Dorothy Elma Beattie (nee Lewis) born March 18, 1924 to Herbert and Elma Lewis in North Bay, was raised on Second Ave. East along with three sisters, Rene, Jeanne and Bette and a brother Gordon who died from illness at the age of six. Father Herbert Lewis was an engineer with the ONR and died at age 52 when two ONR freight trains collided head on January 1, 1948 just south of Cobalt. Mother Elma, lived well into her 90’s.

Dorothy met her husband Fred C.A. Beattie at an early age. There are fond
memories of the neighbourhood games, skiing from home to Laurentian Ski Club to climb the hills and ski for the day or catching a ride on the train out to the country to ski home by way of the Johnson farm for a hot lunch.

Dorothy enjoyed high school, the gym squad and drama. She wanted to continue on with post-secondary education but WWII was imminent so she remained in North Bay and took a job with the Imperial Bank. Dorothy and Fred married soon after high school and the couple left North Bay only briefly while Fred was stationed in Nova Scotia. When Fred went overseas, Dorothy returned to North Bay to wait for Fred to complete his tour.

Following the war, Dorothy and Fred purchased one of the first six homes on Trout Lake Road. Dorothy’s mother had grave concerns as this area was at the time, very rural and in close proximity to the North Bay Jail. House number 2318 proved to be the perfect nest for three daughters Karen, Barb and Beth in one bedroom and sons Fred, Dave and Tim in the other. There they remained for 27 wonderful years eventually surrounded by neighbours who became lifelong friends as the street transformed from dirt, to paved, to a four-lane thoroughfare.

Dorothy was always available for her children. Getting six kids fed and ready for school each morning could not have been an easy task. After school she was always ready to listen to the day’s adventures while cooking dinner. Somehow she found time to work in her garden as the peonies and gladiolus were always perfect. Gardening was a passion she still nurtures today.

Dorothy also found time for the game of bridge, giggling and laughing with her bridge mates as they bid their hands and told stories of their daily adventures.

Today she still loves a good game of bridge.

Dorothy followed in her parents footsteps and became a very active member in Eastern Star. Herbert and Elma Lewis stood together as Worthy Matron and Patron in the North Bay Fidelis Chapter. Dorothy continued in Eastern Star holding several stations through the years and she also stood as Worthy Matron with husband Fred at her side as Worthy Patron.

Dorothy and Fred left Trout Lake Rd in 1974 after completing the life-long dream of building a home on the lake. Here Dorothy’s love of nature, birds, gardening, cross country skiing flourished until Fred’s declining health made it necessary to move closer to town. Dorothy continues her love of gardening and the outdoors, walking when weather permits and tending her patio garden and window box to perfection.

This leaf is a tribute to Dorothy from her children. With her gentle patience she has passed on her love of nature and her strength of spirit to each and every one of us.

Honoured by Carol Brisson

Thank you for honouring Lou and for supporting your Waterfront Park project. Story to follow.

Honoured by David Butti

Thank you for honouring Elizabeth, Oriana and David with a Leaf of Inspiration and for supporting your Waterfront Park project. Story to follow.

Thank you for purchasing a Leaf of Inspiration and for supporting your Waterfront Park project.

Honoured by Ron & Nora Best and Jim & Joyce Best

Dorothy Grozelle was born in in 1911 in Haileybury, Ontario. She was raised in a large family and very close to her brothers and sisters. She was known as the prankster; always playing tricks to outwit her siblings.

Dorothy survived one of the worst natural disasters in Canadian history; the Great Fire in 1922. Haileybury was one of the towns hardest hit and Dorothy and her family took to Lake Timiskaming to survive the fire.

Dorothy grew into a bright and independent woman. Once out of school, she began working in a clothing store and became the general manager for all the clothing stores her boss owned. Travelling by train throughout Northern Ontario, she would visit the stores and oversee their operations.

A beautiful young woman with skin like cream, she had many suitors. But the one she was waiting to ask for her hand in marriage was the handsome Fred Best.

Fred Best was born in 1910 in Colbalt, Ontario. He too survived the Great Fire of 1922.

When he finished school, he moved out of his family’s home and worked for Ontario Hydro. He travelled from mine to mine on a horse cutter to read the power meters.

A natural outdoorsman, his love for fishing and hunting became apparent in his youth. He would never pass up the opportunity to explore the North from the perspective of a canoe. His passion for poetry and his love for the area inspired his own muse, as he describes in one of his published poems:

The North is not an area, it’s not a piece of land, The North’s a spirit, and a Life, which you must understand.

How could young Dorothy not be smitten by such a man?

Dorothy was a patient woman and the two finally married at Fort William on August 4^th, 1938.

They continued to live in the North until 1940 when they decided to move to North Bay.

They had their first son, Ronald, in 1941 and a few years later, their second son James.

Fred

Upon moving to North Bay, Fred began work serving gas in an Esso station, later to be promoted to work for Imperial Oil.

Fred was dedicated to his family and job.

He was stern in his discipline of the boys but would often use his sense of humour to show his playful side…

Fred would take the family dog Rover and his boys out to a field to throw the ball for the dog. The dog was fast to retrieve and Fred told his boys that whoever gets to the ball first would earn an ice cream cone. To be fair, he would even hold the dog back and let the boys get a head start.

He would throw the ball and the boys would take off after it. But Rover would soon gain on them and snatch the ball up to bring it back to Fred. Fred would then proceed to buy the dog an ice cream cone.

And after waiting for just the right level of angst from the boys, he would then buy the boys one too.

Rover and Fred were inseparable. Rover would go with Fred to work each day to sit at his feet while he performed his office job.

Whether Fred’s love for dogs grew from his relationship with Rover or was his general inclination, Fred continued to love and help take care of all the dogs that were adopted as his sons’ started their own families.

Fred never lost his interest in fishing and hunting. He would pass along his knowledge to the next generations in his family; teaching them how to catch and fillet fish, and ensuring they always had a good jackknife on hand.

Fred was left handed and when his young left handed grandson was learning to tie his shoes, Fred was the only one who could show him how.

The North always called him back. He would often drive up with his brother-in-law to visit old mines and his home town.

Fred retired in 1972 from his position as plant supervisor at Imperial Oil.

His years in retirement were spent visiting the North, doing some fishing and hunting, spending time at their cottage in the Cobalt area, and always being available to help his sons’ families with yard work or gardening.

Dorothy

Dorothy was a devoted mother to her two boys, teaching them to always stand up for themselves.

She would do anything for her family. This not only included her immediate family but the descendants of her brothers and sisters as well.

Though when it came to family pets, she was not always keen about the critters her son Ron brought home. He had a box of snakes he kept on the front porch and when he came home from school one day, all the snakes were gone. Dorothy explained to him that they had crawled up the stick he left in the box and made their escape.

Of course today we all know that Dorothy had liberated them.

When her sons married, she treated both her daughter-in-laws like her own daughters. They called her Mom.

When her grandchildren were born, Dorothy insisted on being called Nanny. Grandma made her feel too old.

Her grandchildren were special to her and she was very involved in their lives. She was always available to babysit, whether it was for a few hours in the afternoon or a week while her son and his wife were on vacation.

She was also protective of her 7 grandchildren. Her grandson Leigh was a growing boy and consumed a lot of milk. During family suppers, he was teased by his father that his hefty intake was costing the family too much money.

Dorothy would send home bags of milk with Leigh’s Mom to make sure he got enough.

Dorothy was involved in the Anglican Church, kept an immaculate house, loved her flower gardens, and played bridge with her friends.

Her independent nature never left her. When Fred died in 1990, she continued to live on her own for the next 10 years until she passed in 2001.

The family has many fond memories of Fred and Dorothy; so many that it is sometimes hard for us to know where to begin. Memories of bringing family together for holiday gatherings; the two of them telling stories of their youth; and how they were honest, strong, virtuous people devoted to family and hard work, with always an extra word of encouragement for those they loved.

We think of them often.

They are missed.

Honoured by his “bride”.

In honour of Michael who inspired myself and many others to “make something beautiful”. Michael would be delighted to be supporting the Waterfront Park project. Complete story to follow.

Honoured by Diane Bellaire

Don Bellaire was born Oct. 23, 1951, in Mattawa, ON, to Arthur and Florence Bellaire. He was the youngest of ten children and very much enjoyed his family, friends and life in a small town. But from a very young age, Don had big dreams. His aspirations led him to the big city of Toronto. With his young wife Diane by his side, he moved to Toronto in 1971, and it was there that they raised their two children.

Don was not afraid of hard work. He saw it as an opportunity for self-education. Once in Toronto, he landed a job as a forklift truck technician for Lansing. This job led him to meet many people as he travelled the city, servicing forklift trucks at various companies. He enjoyed his job and the connections he made along the way. Through hard work and determination, he worked his way up within this heavy equipment company, which is known as Strongco Inc. today. He became a General Manager in the company sales department which led him to Montreal. There, he also oversaw the product support in the Atlantic Provinces.

Don also had other interests. He enjoyed his family and friends. He loved to entertain at home, cook great meals and listen to country music. Don and Diane were always known to throw a good party. Don always said “the more the merrier!” He was also a musician in his own rite. He played the guitar and sang. Hank Williams and George Jones tunes were among his favorites and known trade marks at a party. While Don loved to have lots of family and friends around him, he did not need them to enjoy himself. There were times when it was just he and Diane. He would put the music on, and they would dance in the middle of the living room floor and entertain themselves. He was outgoing and a lot of fun.

One of Don’s goals in life was to retire at age 55 and to move back to the North Bay area, which he did. But shortly after he retired, Don was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Because of his positive attitude, the will to live and the courage to beat this cancer, he lived a year longer than expected. He enjoyed his home on Callander Bay and the many friends and family members who filled it with happy times and good memories until his passing on May 29, 2010. He was a loving husband to Diane, father to Tracy and Jason, pappy to Aedan and Emily, brother and friend.

Don was a smart, resourceful man. He worked hard and played hard. He always said, “Whatever you are going to be in life, be the best.” He lived by that, and reminded his children to live by that each day. He was a good friend that way too, because he gave his best to all those around him. He could always be depended on when you needed a friend. Don offered support and words of comfort and encouragement, in good times and in bad.

Don will always be remembered for his bravery, persistence, determination and never giving up in life. He showed up in life. In turn, he inspired others to achieve, to know more and do more. He also taught us to take the time to enjoy life.

We cannot bring back the old days, when we were all together, but secret tears and loving thoughts will live with us forever.

Honoured by Joseph K Madden

Thank you for honouring Bridget with a Leaf of Inspiration and for supporting your Waterfront Park project. Story to follow.

Honoured by Lynne & George Stockfish

DOLORÈS BEAUDOIN

Dolorès était pour moi une amie très chère.  Toujours généreuse avec ses conseils comme avec les fruits de son jardin, elle aimait la bonne chère et ne manquait jamais la messe.

Originaire de Corbeil, elle eut successivement des carrières d’institutrice et de femme d’affaires dans le domaine des assurances. Elle aimait voyager, particulièrement en France et d’autres coins d’Europe et c’était une joueuse avide de bridge de tournoi.

 

Dolores was a very dear friend to me.  She was always generous with her advice, as she was with the fruits of her garden.  She loved a good time and never missed Mass.

Born in Corbeil, she successfully enjoyed careers as a teacher and a business woman in the field of insurance.  She loved to travel, particularly to France and other corners of Europe.  She was also an avid tournament bridge player.

 

 

Honoured by Mike Butti and family

Thank you for honouring Sam with a Leaf of Inspiration and for supporting your Waterfront Park project. Story to follow.