Dolores Winder

WINDER, Dolores Frances (née MacNeil)

March 14, 1936 – December 30, 2025

It is with great sorrow that the family of Dolores Frances Winder announce her passing on December 30, 2025, at the age of 89 years. She passed peacefully in the evening surrounded by her children and eldest grandchild and will be deeply missed.

Born the eldest of seven to Neil and Catherine MacNeil (MacDonald), Dolores grew up in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, where she would later meet her future husband Wayne Winder, a sailor in the Royal Canadian Navy. She was married and had her first child, Gwen, in Nova Scotia before moving to Petrolia, Ontario, and then to Malton. She would soon have two more girls, Brenda and Ramona, and a son, Bruce. In 1969, her husband Wayne tragically died in a car accident, and Dolores took on the task of raising her four young children as a single parent. She worked in several interesting fields throughout her life, including as a telephone operator for Bell and in customer service at Sears.

Dolores was known for her quiet kindness, strong Catholic faith, and her deep love and devotion to her tight-knit family. Despite living in Ontario for more than 60 years, she kept her Cape Breton accent and peppered her conversations with folksy Nova Scotian sayings, much to the delight of her grandchildren. She travelled widely, including a life-changing trip to visit Christian holy sites in the Middle East.

She will be lovingly remembered by her children: Gwen (Glenn), Brenda (Kelvin), Ramona (Mark) and Bruce (Karen); her grandchildren: Connor (Jihyang), Cassie (Alex), Claudia (Greg) and Alyssa (Will); her great-grandson, Ewan; and her siblings: Cathy, Colina and Sharron.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband Wayne and her siblings Beverly, Donald and John.

A private service for family will be held. 

Memorial donations may be made in Dolores’ name to a charity of your choice.