Doris Ruby Plummer (nee Taylor)

Doris Ruby Plummer (nee Taylor) 1928-2023

“Though Earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly."

Peacefully at Starwood Long Term Care home on Dec 5 at the age of 95.  Doris was born on the family farm, “Sunnyside” near Cowra, New South Wales, Australia, the child of Reg Taylor and Mary Strachan. The family physician told her parents that he didn’t expect her to live long.  She proved him wrong in spades.

Doris loved to regale the family with stories of growing up at Sunnyside – 5-mile pony rides to school, tennis parties, weekend dances, listening to the radio on Sunday afternoons, hunting rabbits in the back paddocks, swimming in the dam, working around the farm, and boarding school for ladies in the Blue Mountains.

In 1951, Doris sailed off alone to South Africa to marry Michael Plummer, who then found a job as a chemist for a mining company in Northern Rhodesia.  They emigrated to Canada to Michael’s new job in Sudbury.  Doris played tennis, loved watching hockey and she could not wait to be able to vote as the pipeline debate was running hot at the time - and Doris had views.

They moved to Toronto where their second child, Cheryl, was born and where Michael completed his PhD.  Michael’s first job as a PhD was in Ottawa. The family moved to Australia in 1962, where Heather was born in 1964.  They returned to Ottawa in 1969.

Heather was born with a significant developmental delay.  Doris and Michael devoted their lives to her care, ensuring she was always part of the family.  Doris was active in the ODAMR.

In the early 1970’s Doris found a new love - Zellers.  She joined in 1974 and quickly worked her way up to personnel manager.  Her intelligence, integrity and diplomacy and her love of the job earned the respect of managers and staff. 

Doris loved to laugh, loved to tell stories, was considerate, yet iron-willed.  Even as she gradually lost her eyesight, hearing and memory, Doris maintained her cheery disposition – until the end. She retained a lifelong passion for life, her family, her native Australia, her adopted Canada, for current events, sports, health, and history.

Doris was predeceased by her husband Michael, her brother Jack, and her niece Merryn.  She is mourned by her three children, Reg (Gail Dawson), Cheryl (Peter DePencier) and Heather, her grandson Graeme Kaufman, and her sister Kaye Haire in Australia.  She is fondly remembered by her nieces and nephew in Australia.  

The family wishes to extend their heartfelt thanks to the staff at Starwood and Dr. Rose for their compassionate care of Doris over the last few years. In lieu of flowers, a donation to CNIB or The Dementia Society of Ottawa would be appreciated.