Doreen passed away peacefully at the age of 96 at Woodland Villa in Long Sault, Ontario on the morning of July 13, 2024. Doreen’s family sincerely thank the staff at the Villa, Dr. Crooks and Dr. Migicovsky & PSW’s that helped care for her in her home over the past months and years. A heartfelt thank you to Joanne Thompson, Doreen’s eldest daughter who cared for Mom for the last 8 years of her life in the home that she loved in Morrisburg.
Doreen was born in Hallville, Ontario to Hiram & Pina Fawcett on a small dairy farm. She only weighed 2 ½ pounds but she grew up fast and curious as a child of the Great Depression, a teenager during World War Two, marriage at 19 years old to the war veteran Joseph Adelard Scarbo, Mom to 5 girls in the late forties and early fifties, family moves throughout most of the fifties from Brockville, Ontario along the St. Lawrence River to Farran’s Point before it was flooded for the great flood for the famous St. Lawrence Seaway system and on to Port Cartier, Quebec, while Joe worked with a company building railroads. Then the whole family returned to Finch, Ontario to take up farming life. This did not work out for them, and Doreen and Joe parted ways. Doreen went to college to take a retail management course and continued to raise her daughters as a single parent. She became a successful Manager of a custom drapery store in Cornwall, Ontario for many years. Doreen also began a long and enduring relationship with Lyall Johnson Ouderkirk of Berwick, Ontario and they spent 52 years loving and caring for each other. Sadly, Lyall passed away in 2015. Joe predeceased Doreen in 2007. Doreen’s sister Alice St. Pierre (Albert), her brothers Art (Mary) and Gordon also have passed. Doreen will be forever lovingly remembered by her adult children – Bonnie Joanne Thompson of Morrisburg, Donna Cottrell of Oakville, Betty Lousie Gauthier (Denis) of Calabogie, Judi Lynn MacLean (Bill) of Finch and Lucy Paulette Gilson (Bob) of Newcastle. Doreen is survived by dear sisters and brother – Wilma Du Sablon (Rolland) Riviere Beaudette, PQ, Wallace Fawcett (Marie) of Iroquois, ON., Isabelle Kerkhof (Pete) Kemptville, ON., Jacqueline Eliassen (John) of Quispamsis NB., Helen Gallivan (Ken Ouderkirk) Morrisburg, ON. Doreen will also be fondly remembered by her grandchildren – Robert Cottrell, Michael Thompson (Natalie), Fauve Gauthier, Carolyn MacMillan (Dan), Connie MacLean (Andrew), Brent MacLean (Amanda), Magenta MacLeod (Joe). Doreen’s legacy will live on in her 11 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren plus too many nieces and nephews to count.
A public graveside service will be held at the Finch Community Cemetery on Sun., Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. followed by a Celebration of Doreen’s Life at the Royal Canadian Legion in Finch. Light refreshments will be available. Donations to the Winchester District Memorial Hospital would be gratefully acknowledged. If you are making your donation online or directly to a charity, please include the following note with your gift – “please notify the family”. Online condolences may be made at marsdenmclaughlin.com.
