Embreus, Dorothy

Dorothy passed away peacefully on January 29, 2024 in Nelson, BC at Jubilee Manor, at the age of 92.

Dorothy was born in Vancouver, BC in November to Franz and Molly.  Dorothy was the oldest of six children. She had twin brothers, Frank and Henry, half-brothers Gordon and Ronald, and half-sister Rosemary.  Dorothy grew up in Vancouver, BC and she talked about how much she enjoyed living in Vancouver.  In her teen years she moved with her family to a farm in West Kelowna, BC.   Her mother passed away there, and later her father was remarried to Gertrud.  Dorothy moved to Vancouver after graduating high school where she attended business school and worked for some time.

Dorothy had an adventurous spirit and when she was in her twenties she travelled to England where she worked and explored.  Dorothy and her friends hitchhiked and stayed in hostels all over Europe for two years.

Dorothy moved back to Vancouver where she met Jorgen and they married in 1959. Exactly nine months later they had their first daughter Jennifer, and then moved to Fort St John, BC in 1961 where Jorgen worked as a surveyor. Dorothy and Jorgen had 2 more daughters in Fort St John, Angela and Sonja. They lived at Charlie Lake for many years.  Jorgen left the family in the 1970s and Dorothy raised her girls as a single mother.  She was a fantastic mother, who gave her girls the freedom to grow and explore, but was always there when her girls (and their friends) needed her.

Dorothy told her daughters how fortunate she was to be immediately hired as a secretary at the local high school. Jennifer, Angela, and Sonja all attended the high school during the time their mother worked there. They couldn’t get away with any shenanigans!  Dorothy then transferred to École Central Elementary School and worked there as the secretary until she retired at 65.

Dorothy was very active with her local union and was a strong advocate for fair and equitable work conditions. She was well respected in her work place. She was politically minded and was loyal to the NDP party. She was always up for good discussions and debates on politics and current events.  Dorothy was involved for some time with the FSJ Public Library where she and her girls spent many enjoyable hours – the whole family loved to read.  Dorothy was also an accomplished weaver and was part of the North Peace Spinners and Weavers Guild for many years.

After her retirement Dorothy enjoyed more travelling, she went to China, Turkey, and Ireland and journeyed across Canada with Frank and Bernice.  Dorothy was passionate about golfing at Lakepoint in the summer and curling in the winter with the seniors.  Dorothy was an avid reader, enjoyed classical music, and she had an extensive cookbook library and had fun trying out many new recipes.  She had a lovely group of friends in Fort St John and they would get together often to celebrate each other’s birthdays, and many of the group was part of the movie society and enjoyed watching and discussing movies.

In 2004, Dorothy moved from her lakeside home at Charlie Lake to the cabin at Angela and Dave’s place by Taylor, BC. When Dorothy was 88 she decided she didn’t want to cook and clean for herself any longer and moved in with Angela and Dave in their log home.  In 2021 Dorothy moved with them when they relocated to Harrop on Kootenay Lake.

In the last few years Dorothy needed more care and in 2022 she moved into Jubilee Manor in Nelson, BC. The staff at Jubilee Manor always commented on how sweet Dorothy was and her family very much appreciated the excellent care she received there. In Dorothy’s last years she had dementia, but she was still essentially herself and her attitude was very good.

Dorothy was pre-deceased by her parents Franz and Molly, her stepmother Gertrude and her brother Henry. She is survived and much missed by her daughters Jennifer (Bernie), Angela (Dave), and Sonja (Myles). Siblings Frank (Bernice), Gordon (Patricia), Ronald (Monika), and Rosemary.  Grandchildren Dylan and Erin, Kaine and Kristofer (Ashley). Great grandchildren Teryk, Brenna, Braxton, Khloe, River and numerous nieces and nephews.