Kennedy (nee Sinclair), Dolly

Parksville Qualicum Beach News Parksville: 2011 April 10

(nee Pearl Alberta Sinclair)
Died Age 96 (Jan 23, 1915 - April 10, 2011)

Dolly died after a three day illness with pneumonia at Qualicum Manor, Qualicum Beach, BC. Her parents were Archibald G. and Pearl A. (Logan) Sinclair. She is predeceased by her husband Thomas Alexander Kennedy, and her brother Robert A. Sinclair.

She leaves her daughter Robin (Roberta) D. Robinson and husband Sandy, her son David M. Kennedy and wife Linda, grandchildren David A. Robinson, Thomas M. Robinson and partner Sarah Wormsbecker, Michael H. Kennedy, Kiran K. Kennedy and husband Bruce Runciman, and great grandchildren Mhari and Ewan Runciman.

Dolly was born in Tofield Alberta where her father was a CNR station agent. She attended school in Edmonton, and during her teenage summers travelled with her mother and brother to Vancouver where she met Alex, her husband to be.

They were married in 1935 and lived in Powell River and Port McNeill in the days of high lead logging and donkey steam engines. In 1945 they moved to Vancouver. She began taking courses by correspondence from UBC in 1942, and graduated with a B.A. in 1950. This was a dedicated, long process. Immediately upon graduation she joined the Vancouver University Women’s Club which featured prominently during the rest of her life. She was active in many club interest groups and committees ranging from creative writing to important social advocacy ones.

While Dolly was president of the Vancouver Club it co-hosted, with the UBC Continuing Education Department, a Conference on The Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, a benchmark for the place and rights women have in Canada today. Dolly was also active with the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW), which has 110 clubs across Canada. She was Western Vice-president in the early 1980s and helped establish many new clubs. She has been a member of the Parksville/Qualicum Club since she moved permanently to Parksville in 1998.

Other educational achievements that Dolly was proud of were graduation from the Vancouver Normal School in 1956 and her graduation in the first class of UBC’s Library Science School in 1962. She worked for a time as a children’s librarian in Vancouver and as a high school librarian in Ladner. She then became active with the Vancouver Public Library Board and helped establish the BC Library Trustees Association, travelling widely throughout the province on their behalf. Education, art, music, books, travel, CFUW and libraries were dear to her heart. Her children and their families have many well chosen books in their libraries gifted from her. Dolly was a remarkable woman, always gracious; she brought inventiveness, enthusiasm, wit and fun to whatever she did.

The family wish to thank Sue’s Senior Home Care for the fine support at Dolly’s home, and she was wonderfully cared for by the staff at Qualicum Manor who made her last year a happy and comfortable one.

There will be a celebration of her life at The Old School House, 122 Fern Rd. W, Qualicum Beach, at 2 PM on Sun. May 22. In lieu of flowers we invite you to make a donation in her memory to a charity of your choice.