Obituary of Doreen Desrosiers

Doreen Mae Desrosiers, or Shantee, as she was called by a niece who could not pronounce "Auntie", left our lives on July 31, 2021.

In spite of the fact that she and Uncle Ralph had no children, she was a mother to many of us. When her sister Verva married  Ted, Uncle Ralph's brother, she eventually became a mother to their seven. In addition, she acquired several more children during her life. Her love for Uncle Ralph and us was absolute and unquestioning, and we were always welcomed at her home, be it at Grandma's farm, before she married Uncle Ralph or in Lloydminster afterwards.

Doreen was born near Perdue, SK and grew up on a farm near Arelee, SK. She loved her life there and managed to convey that love of rural life to those of us who stayed with Grandma and her, which was usually during the summer months. We would help her with chores and grew to love that simple farm life, which again, included unwavering acceptance of us noisy, active kids from the adults who lived there. She met Uncle Ralph when both were attendants at Verva's and Ted's wedding. They had a long courtship, culminating in marriage in Cour de Lane, Idaho. Uncle Ralph owned and drove a cattle liner and it was during one of his trips that the marriage occurred. They had a long and happy marriage, which lasted more than fifty years and Doreen was absolutely devoted to him.

While Uncle Ralph spent long hours driving truck, Doreen was the ultimate homemaker. In addition, she involved herself in the trucking business by keeping the records, booking trips and in general, managing the family finances. It was a system that worked well, except for the fact that Uncle was frequently away for hours and days on end, while Doreen kept the home fires burning.

Doreen was the second last of five children, born to Irene and Glen Wright and the last surviving child. Doreen leaves behind nieces and nephews, too numerous to mention, and friends who became like close relatives to her. Her love was limitless. The two surviving brothers-in-law are Claude (Adèle) and Wilfred (Pat).

The Funeral Service for Doreen will be conducted from St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church, Lloydminster, Alberta on Saturday, August 21, 2021, at 2:00 PM. If you are unable to attend in person, the service will be live-streamed and posted on the McCaw Funeral Service website, under Doreen's obituary at the time of service. 

Donations in memory of Doreen may be made to donor's charity of choice.

Doreen's funeral card can be viewed or downloaded from the link below.

https://indd.adobe.com/view/7801e0c7-7b23-4168-ad31-fce294e09593