Our beautiful, sweet, kind mother peacefully passed away on November 15th, 2023, at the remarkable age of 103.
Born in Hamilton Dec 13, 1919, of parents Earl James Sutherland and Rosa (nee Denhardt).
Doris was the eldest of 11 children. She was proven to be a wonderful compassionate sister, caring for the little ones, and taking on many household responsibilities during tough times. Throughout the years, Doris was always admired for her steadfast commitment to family.
Siblings predeceasing her are Larry, Douglas, John, Jimmy, Edward, Tom, Joan, and Mary. Doris will be sorely missed by sisters Loretta Ward (husband Jerry), and Colette Christmas (husband Fred deceased).

Doris married the love of her life, Garnet Hugh Ross (deceased) affectionately known as Babe and later as Pappy. Together they raised Paul, Colette, and Michelle, of whom they became the devoted grandparents of Angela, James, Kimberly, Emily, Justine, Taylor, and Conner. During those years, they both were very engaged in the grandkids lives.
Great grandchildren are Ross, Jackson, and Davis as well as Penelope, Rowan, and Ellis.

Doris was a master cook and we all remember those wonderful nutritious roast beef Sunday dinners, complete with her delicious homemade English jarred condiment, tomato butter. Every fall, the family home was engulfed in lovely aromas of specialty jams or condiments ready for jarring. She was especially famous for her spaghetti and meatballs dish (Pappy's fav), and meals were always finished with either a scratch Lemon Meringue Pie, Baked Alaska, the notorious Pineapple Upside Down Cake, or other incredible dessert creations. Doris really was the master and it was so much appreciated by all!
She entertained family and friends with such grace, greeting guests at the door looking like a million bucks!

Doris was very musical as was all the rest of the Sutherland clan. She loved the classical works of Beethoven, Debussy and Chopin. However, she also loved a good party with Garnet's Dixieland band!
She certainly had a beautiful singing voice and belonged to the Mississauga Choral Society which performed professional concerts twice yearly. Her lovely soprano voice echoed regularly at the homestead.

Doris belonged to a bridge club as well as Burlington Curling Club in Aldershot in the early years. After moving to Etobicoke, she joined the Dixie Curling Club and met a new circle of friends.
Later in life, she had many more things to take up time, like night school Psychology courses, swimming and piano lessons, and even the odd part-time job at Eaton's Sherway to help pay for it all! Doris had a zest for life and made it happen.

As a talented seamstress, Doris produced many masterpieces, from warm cozy winter coats to awesome Vogue dresses and gowns. She had a vision for her own custom designs and with precision created wedding and bridle dresses too.
She also always took on the task of making drapes and curtains for all the homes she and Garnet moved to over the years. Each home was a new project in decorating, where she again mastered the arts of decorating with painting, wallpapering, and refinishing many pieces of furniture.
Doris had a great natural vision for style and decor and she was never afraid to get her hands dirty to reach those goals.

In 1963, Doris and Garnet took on a new exciting adventure to build a cottage on a newly purchased lot in Bala, Muskoka. It was the beginning of another big chapter for them, working together and making improvements until it became a special family cottage retreat for all to enjoy. Their work resulted in the perfect summer home for gatherings and entertaining...Perfect also, as the place was so well planned with precision and appreciation of the beauty of its natural terrain. This was the ultimate accomplishment, providing the experiences of swimming, canoeing, fishing, boating, and just the wonders of nature to their family and friends. Again, Doris was a driving force with true vision and hard work.

The cottage was a favourite place for Doris to read books on psychology and nutrition, but she was also very interested in history, especially in her later years.
Late afternoons and evenings were often a special time to hit the lake and enjoy boat cruises with
Garnet, her favourite captain, on Sutherland Bay, Lake Muskoka.
In retirement, Doris decided to take golf lessons. We must mention that at the Muskoka Golf and Country Club, she actually scored a Hole In One! What a gal! Certainly, Doris was one of a kind.

Thank you to Evergreen Retirement Community as well as Diana and other nurses and support workers at The Wenleigh Long Term Care for all their kind support throughout these last difficult years.

An extra special heartfelt thank you to Paul for his true love and sole dedication to Mom's health and well-being, during long-term care days and especially throughout covid years.

We take comfort in knowing that Doris has joined her angel, Garnet on the other side, where they can laugh at goofy jokes and sing to their hearts' content!
And we look forward to a Celebration of Life for Doris Mary Ross, to be held sometime in the future for the family to gather in her memory.