February 5, 1925 – April 26, 2026
Dorothy Griffin passed away peacefully on April 26th, 2026, at the age of 101 years. Predeceased by her four brothers, Ronald, Kenneth, Jack and Leslie, and her husband Paul. Dorothy is survived by her three sons, Derek, Owen, and Ross; 5 grandchildren, Tamra, Heidi, Carli, Erica, and Paul; 3 great grandchildren, McKensie, Max, and Ozzy.
Born February 5th, 1925, in Victoria BC to Stanley and Dorothy Page. Dorothy was raised on Galiano Island BC. She graduated from Lord Byng High School in Vancouver in 1943, and in 1946 married Paul Griffin in West Vancouver. Dorothy and Paul moved to Nanaimo in 1951, where they raised their three sons Derek, Owen and Ross, returning to Vancouver in 1967.
In 1978 Dorothy graduated with a B.A. in Social Work from the University of Victoria and worked as a Registered Social Worker in care facilities in the Victoria area until 1985, when she and Paul both retired from their respective jobs and moved to Kelowna BC.
Dorothy and Paul spent most of their life in British Columbia, with the important exception of a year and a half in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and three months in Bhusawal, India. Dorothy loved the multicultural experience of Malaysia and India, she and Paul returned to Asia as tourists in later years, visiting China, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Fiji.
Following her husband’s death in 1997, Dorothy found solace by spending time with her grandchildren and working in her garden. Dorothy was passionate about her garden, especially her rhododendrons, and was an active member and volunteer with many horticultural societies, including the BC Rhododendron society, VanDusen Gardens in Vancouver, Darts Hill Garden Conservancy in Surrey, Milner Gardens in Qualicum, and the Horticultural Center in Victoria.
Dorothy believed strongly in lifelong learning. During her retirement, she regularly took courses through the Continuing Education Departments of both UBC and UVIC and was active in the Canadian Federation of University Women’s groups in Vancouver, Qualicum and Victoria. She loved community theatre and was an avid member and volunteer at the Victoria Art Gallery, the Belfry Theatre and Langham Court Theatre in Victoria, and the Qualicum Little Theatre.
Dorothy also believed in the importance of serving others, and regularly volunteered with organizations serving seniors, including Silver Threads Services and Oak Bay Volunteer Services.
While Dorothy lived most of her life away from Galiano Island, her heart was always close to Galiano. A favorite memory was attending the opening of the new Galiano Museum in September 2021 with her extended Page family.