Reverend Dr. Dorothy Wilson
REVEREND DOCTOR DOROTHY (SHARMAN) WILSON
Reverend Doctor Dorothy (Sharman) Wilson peacefully passed away July 6, 2024 at Parkview Home in Stouffville, Ontario, at the palindromic time of 4:44pm. There is no doubt in the minds of her loved ones that she in now in that special circle of Heaven for the true and faithful shepherds for The Lord.
She was born March 25 (year redacted by request, but trust us, she reached an impressive age that saw the world change in ways we can never fathom) to Milton & Annie (Cooke) Sharman in Bentinck Township, Grey County, Ontario.
Predeceased by her husband Lieutenant Colonel Forrest Erwin Wilson, brother Stanley Sharman and sisters Phyllis Gritten and Elda Gorrill, eight dear sisters-in-law including Hilda (Wilson) Higley, Elaine (Wilson) Bloch, and Ruth (Wilson) Root.
Survived by a plethora of wonderful, interesting, creative, passionate nieces, nephews, grands and great grands who loved her dearly.
Ordained in 1957, Dorothy was a trailblazer who married academic theology with deep faith. She led many a congregation with caring wisdom and absolute grace, including Emanuel United (Emsdale), Burks Falls United, South River Chalmers United, Trinity United, Sprucedale United, Novar United, Harmony United, Sand Lake United Churches, and St. Paul’s Oak Ridges. She was also first choice amongst her family to hatch, match, and dispatch, which she always did most excellently until she decided she wanted some weekends free. She often wished she could remember how many people she had married (as a minister), though to the best of her family’s knowledge her only husband was affectionately known as Uncle Erwin, whom she wed in a drive-by chapel in Florida, March 1965.
Among her other adventures, Dorothy attended a one-room school in Lamlash District Township, then Hanover High School. She went to teacher’s college in Toronto and even taught for a few years before attending Victoria College and Emmanuel College. She spent two happy years at Keady Pastoral Charge as untrained lay supply. After being ordained, she headed to St. Andrew’s University in Scotland, where she learned to despise shortbread, declaring that it was like “eating a mouthful of lard,” which is the only sacrilege to her name. Dorothy lived for seven years in Valois, Quebec where Erwin was the District Lakes Manager before they returned to Emsdale after he took early retirement. Her honourary doctorate was bestowed upon her by Huntington University for her many years of “faithful service to the churches in the north,” though she always felt there were so many more deserving of it than she was. Many a winter was enjoyed in Zephyr Hills, Florida, surrounded by her sisters-in-law. Dorothy was blessed with many wonderful friends and family and neighbours everywhere.
Few things made her has happy as a bowl of “budadoes,” which she would happily eat for and with every meal, especially if there was gravy or butter. She was an avid and prolific letter writer, though her script was tiny and often illegible, but always fun to decipher. She was often known to advise us all to “save your fork, there might be pie.”
And so
“My sufficiency has been sufficed.”
-Dr. Reverend (Aunt) Dorothy Wilson
A Graveside service will be held at the Emsdale United Cemetery, Emsdale on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at 12 noon.
A Memorial Service will be held at Trinity United Church, 33 Main Street, East, Huntsville on Wednesday July 17th a 2:30 pm, with a reception to follow in Trinity Hall.
In Lieu of flowers, donations to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation or Algonquin Grace Hospice Huntsville, would be appreciated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOAsoRBoN34