Obituary of Dorothy Irene Metcalfe
In Memory of
Dorothy Irene Metcalfe
1928 –2019
Dorothy, a local resident for 68 of her 91 years, died peacefully at the Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital on Oct. 3, just days after a cancer diagnosis. As she wished, cremation has taken place and a Memorial Service will be held on SATURDAY, OCT. 19, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 7283 Roger Stevens Dr. (off North Gower Road), Smiths Falls. VISITATION FROM 10:30; SERVICE AT 11; RECEPTION FOLLOWING. Dorothy was the only child of William C. and Florence (Warren) Metcalfe, and will be interred with her mother at Prospect Cemetery in her native Toronto.
By the age of 10 Dorothy had lost both parents and suffered a serious brain injury in an accident. Though 23, she was among the original residents when Smiths Falls’ Ontario Hospital School (later Rideau Regional Centre) opened in 1951. As societal attitudes turned away from institutions and towards community living, she became eligible for a work pass as a maid at the Arlington Hotel. It was more than a job; it was a new life. Dorothy, determined to leave those lonely and neglectful years behind, began soaking up everything she could to make herself independent, and over time she found enduring friendships, her own home, a sweetheart (deceased), pets (beloved dogs and birds), and a supportive faith family. She was known for her superb knitting, curiosity, loyalty, long phone chats, Christmas and birthday generosity, equanimity in the face of many health crises, and for scrapbooking everything she could find about skater Patrick Chan and her friends’ lives to the third generation.
“Dot” was a colourful character, and unforgettable. Among those mourning her are the Perkins family in Smiths Falls, Prescott and Kingston, her Mormon church family, and close friends in her Bell Ave. building. Although Dorothy supported animal welfare, the Cancer Society and help for the poor, memorial gifts to any charity of the donor’s choice will be appreciated and acknowledged.
