Obituary of Dorothy Viola Tessier

In loving memory of Mrs. Dorothy Viola Tessier (nee Aitchison) who passed away at Temiskaming Hospital on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at the age of 82. Dorothy can now join her beloved husband Paul, and her parents and brothers, and will be greatly missed by her children Mark (Francine), Doug (Carolyn), Larry and especially by her daughter Janie, Dorothy’s companion, friend and caregiver these last few years. She will be missed and remembered by her grandchildren Liane, Elizabeth, Patrick, Rebecca, Jessica and Jordan; and her great grandchildren Taylor, Tylor, Trevor, Tinsley, Spencer and Gabriella. She will be missed by her cherished sisters and by the whole extended Aitchison and Tessier families. Dorothy was a quiet and private person who preferred the background to the spotlight, but who worked tirelessly and made her quiet impact on her family, friends, community and even further reaching. As a librarian at the Elk Lake Public Library and as secretary and librarian at Elk Lake Public School, Dorothy introduced many children to the joy and wonder of reading and treated everyone as if they were her family. Over the years, Dorothy had a passion for knitting for her family and also knitted thousands of mittens that she donated to schools and knitting programs. Her mittens and warm socks also made their way to the streets of Toronto and were given to homeless and underhoused seniors in need of winter warmth. In particular, the warm socks were loved as slippers during hospital stays for seniors in Toronto who did not own any. No memorial or celebration of life will be immediately held in these challenging times, but one is under consideration for later this year. The family would also like to sincerely thank all those who provided such professional and compassionate care for Dorothy. If desired, donations in Dorothy’s memory to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the library of your choice will be gratefully acknowledged.