Maggie was born in Cranbrook, BC on June 13, 1930 at the St. Eugene Hospital, the first of three children to Eleanor and Frank Bridges, long time Cranbrook residents. She attended Cranbrook Central School and after graduating from the Cranbrook High School, she attended Sprott Shaw Community College in Vancouver BC, returning thereafter to work at the National Fruit Company and the Provincial Health Unit in Cranbrook. In 1950, she joined 2 of her friends to travel to Montreal, QC where she worked with Budge Carbon Paper Manufacturing Company. The small town called and she returned to settle in Cranbrook and work for the Provincial Social Welfare Department. In 1953 she married Gerald Dorris, the father of her three children. The Dorris’ lived in New Westminster, Lethbridge, AB, Spokane, WA, and Scottsdale, AZ, as well as the place she always loved, Cranbrook, for many years. In 1979, Maggie returned to Arizona where she lived till her retirement in 1992. During that time she worked with Varian Electronics Inc., and Intergroup Healthcare of Arizona. After retiring she maintained her home and a rental business in Scottsdale as well as her heavenly place at Moyie Lake where she spent several months every year. Maggie said her roots were at Moyie Lake, having spent many summers on the lake at Green Bay where her uncle Harold Bridges, who was founder of the Green Bay Resort with her grandfather, JF Bridges. Her place at Moyie, which she shared with her son David, remained a ‘work in progress’ and she often said, she was doing exactly what she had always wanted to do with her life. In 2006, Cranbrook called again and she moved back where she settled happily till her passing on Thursday, January 15th, 2015.
Maggie was predeceased by her parents, her beloved son Michael Dorris in 2008, her nephews Allan & Ronald Bridges, and her companion Dennis Scott in 1999.
She is survived by her son David Dorris (Rhonda) and their 3 sons, Jordy (Amy), Parker and Aaron; and her daughter Nancy Lemire (Monty) and her 2 daughters, Melissa (Nedi) and Amy (Ira) and three great-grandchildren; Fynn, Nash & Micah. She is also survived by her brother Harvey Bridges (Jean) and their family; and her sister Lois Maguire (Ernie) and their family.
Maggie was very close with her brother and sister who were exceptionally kind to her. Maggie likened her many friends to jewels and she cherished them that way. She lived life in a very positive way. She was a lifetime hockey contributor (member of the founding executive board of the Cranbrook Colts Junior Hockey League), she liked to laugh, to play bridge (especially duplicate bridge), and wasn’t afraid of hard work - that is the legacy she received from her mother Eleanor and the one she leaves to the wonderful young people in her surviving family.
A memorial service for Maggie will be held at McPherson Funeral Home in Cranbrook on Friday, January 23, 2015 at 1:00 pm.