De Kiewiet, Dorothy

Dorothy was born in South Africa in 1939 and emigrated to Canada in her 20’s. She raised her children Kevin and Sheryl in Oakville. And then moved up to North Bay in 2016 to be near family. 

Since then she has been an avid participant in many community groups including the Naturalist club, Probus, Pickleball at the Village and more. Her shining joy in the last few years was paddling with the Warriors of Hope Breast Cancer Survivors Dragonboat team and her twice a week bridge games with her group.

She never lost her joy in life, her engagement or her sparky interest in everything around her. She was an adventurer and hiked in Spain in her late 70’s, won gold in the 2023 Vancouver International Dragonboat festival at the age of 83 and continued to do Dragonboat races when she was 86. She was the last one to pull her paddle to rest and her team took inspiration from her when they were tired. “If Dorothy is still paddling, I can too.”

On May 5th at the age of 87, she felt that it would be her last day. She called her family together, gave advice, shared stories and had a morning of laughter and smiles before drifting away peacefully. Dorothy will be missed and lovingly remembered by her daughter Sheryl Riley (husband James Truong), her son Kevin Riley, their father John Riley, and her granddaughters Fionna and Abigail.  

If people want a place to donate, please send them to the team that brought her so much joy: The Warriors of Hope Breast Cancer Survivors Dragonboat Racing Team: etransfer@warriorsofhope.com or go to https://www.warriorsofhope.com/donate/. The money will be used to support the team, our communities breast cancer survivors and for breast cancer charities.

There will be no formal memorial service. For those of you that knew her well, you know she was an avid botanist and outdoors person. She loved flowers and colour. Take your brightest flowers to the waterfront or a favourite hiking trail or go find a Lion’s Mane mushroom in the woods to admire and think of her. (She was the only one that could call you over in excitement and you’d end up looking at a mushroom) I’m sure if she saw us all doing this it would make her smile. Online condolences may be left at www.martynfh.com.