Plant, Dorcas

Dorcas Plant was a force. If you needed thoughtful advice, a capable volunteer, or a hot meal, she would be the first call. She opened her door to strangers and friends, inviting them to join her family around the table to break bread. It was a routine she came by honestly, learned from her own parents growing up in Belleville, Ontario.

The truth is though, Dorcas was one half of a great duo. Her life was fullest— and happiest— with her sweetheart Tom. From the early days dancing to big bands in Essex, Ontario to starting their family in Toronto and eventually retiring in Kitchener, their life together was punctuated by laughter, family and dear friends.

The pair traveled the world together; visiting remote fjords in Norway, islands in Greece and returning frequently to their favourite spots in the U.K. 

They spent summers at Bruce Beach on the shores of Lake Huron, tending to a sprawling garden bordered by hollyhocks and zinnias. It was at the cottage where the family rallied, often arriving to Dorcas— in her bathing suit— stirring jam on the stove or rolling out pastry for a fresh peach pie. In the evenings she’d rummage in her drawer, emerging with chocolate from her personal stash to pass around the table as grandkids played bingo. 

She was a tireless volunteer— the kind who always raised her hand, whether giving marching orders at the pudding factory at St. John the Evangelist church during the holidays, or fundraising for arts organizations across the country, from the National Music Festival to the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. 

Up to her final moments music was present in her life. As a teenager, she studied to be a concert pianist, and in each new community she found comfort in music. In her professional life she ran the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival and in retirement spent Saturday evenings at the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, at countless concerts and recitals for her children and grandchildren and had a soundtrack of Puccini and Chopin on her stereo. 

Dorcas will be remembered in so many ways by her family. In their day to day routines and holiday traditions. Her son David (Patti) and daughters Nan (David) and Jane (Grant). Her grandchildren Tristan (Naya), Miranda (Todd), James (Kristy), Amanda (Sam), Colin (Lauren), Titania (Jason) and Scott (Noelle), and her 10 great grandchildren. 

Dorcas passed away after 98 robust years, singing until the end. 

The family extends their deepest thanks to the staff at Roberta Place Retirement Lodge and Royal Victoria Hospital. 

There will be a memorial service at St.John the Evangelist in Kitchener in the spring. Donations in Dorcas’s memory can be made to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre and the Laurier Academy of Music and Arts or a charity that you feel would honour her spirit.