Dorothy Rose (Darkins) Stephen

In Loving Memory of 
Dorothy Rose Stephen (née Darkins)
November 4, 1929 - March 25, 2026 (age 96)

Dorothy Rose Stephen (née Darkins) of Little Current, Ontario, passed away peacefully at the Manitoulin Health Centre on Wednesday, March 25th, 2026, surrounded by her family.

Dorothy was born in England, on Monday, November 4, 1929, and was the middle child of Harry and Olive Darkins.

Her elder brother Collin Darkins (predeceased) and younger brother Warwick Darkins.

She became a teacher and later married David Stephen on July 17, 1956, soon after his graduation from medical school.
The young family, now including their three children, moved to Little Current on June 14, 1967.

Dorothy became a teacher at the Little Current Public School, where she taught until her retirement. Her love of the children was returned in kind, and she would often encounter her now-grown students while out and about, to her pleasure.

Dorothy is predeceased by her loving husband and best friend, David Stephen.

Dorothy is survived by her children Alastair Stephen (Michèle), Shirley Stephen and Iain Stephen.

She is also survived by her grandchildren Kathryn Stephen, Jennifer Kivisto (Jussi), Christopher Stephen (Samantha), Tori Stephen (Mitch) and Alyssa Stephen (Dwyer)
and great grandchildren Roméo, Caleb, Finn and Ella-Rose.

Dorothy had an intense love of nature – birds, animals, trees and flowers. She loved the outdoors and would take long walks with her children and later with her grandchildren, to their delight. She enjoyed bird watching and gardening.  

She was an accomplished oil painter and loved to paint the natural beauty of Manitoulin and the surrounding islands and waterways. Dorothy was an avid photographer, especially of her family and the great outdoors. Many of Dorothy’s paintings were inspired by these photographs.
In her earlier years, Dorothy would knit beautiful garments for her family. She enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, playing Scrabble and playing cards. She kept fit by going to Aquafitness with her friends. 

Dorothy was well-loved by all who knew her. She brought a bit of joy and hospitality into every encounter, and on her toughest days still strived to ensure that those around her were cared for.

Many thanks to the wonderful medical staff at Manitoulin Health Centre in Little Current. Their kindness and compassion during a difficult time will never be forgotten. A special thank you goes out to Dr. Roy Jeffrey whose empathy and care helped us all during this sad time.
We are forever grateful.

To honour Dorothy’s wishes, cremation has already taken place, and there will be no funeral service.

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