Marie Compton

Dorothy Marie Compton, a true lady loved by all for her selflessness, caring ways and kindness left us on August 27, 2024. She turned 97 years old on August 2nd. Marie was surrounded by family when she died. She was loved by people and was vibrant and “sharp as a tack” up until 24 hours before her swift passing.

She was an only child and is predeceased by her parents Sadie and Russell MacDonald and her husband, Frederick Compton of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

Marie was born in Detroit, Michigan where her father worked in one of the car plants. When she was a toddler, her parents returned to their Canadian roots and so she grew up in New Glasgow and Trenton, Nova Scotia. When she graduated from secretarial school, she went to the big city of Halifax to work where she met her husband, Fred, an Engineering student at the Nova Scotia Technical College. They fell in love and married in 1949 and for several years moved around in Atlantic and “Upper” Canada while Fred, worked at various engineering jobs. In 1957, they moved “back home” from Toronto to Cape Breton until 1986 where she lovingly looked after the family, including her special needs son and helped her husband run the several small side businesses he had to support the lean times when engineering jobs were not readily available in Cape Breton.

After Fred suddenly died at the age of 60, she and her father who lived with her, moved to Ottawa to live with her Ottawa family. She was just 59 and quickly became the local favourite grammy to her grandchildren’s Orlean’s friends, famous for her drives to and pickups from school, her afterschool, warm chocolate chip cookies and grilled cheese sandwiches. She was a wonderful home maker who worked tirelessly to support the family.

She is survived by her children, Sharon Chamberlain (Charles Chamberlain) of Carp, Ontario, Heather Compton, (Allan Aucoin), from Cape Breton, and her special needs son, Allan Compton, also living in Cape Breton.

She was deeply loved by her grandchildren, Derek Graham and Kelly Graham, both of Calgary, and in 1994, readily accepted the addition of Chuck Chamberlain (Tamara Chamberlain) and Sherry Chamberlain of Ottawa into her loving fold when Sharon remarried. Marie’s four great grandchildren, Emily and Joshua Graham and Autumn Stevenson, all from Ottawa and Leo Bouckhout of Calgary enjoyed her presence. She was a special person to Michael Graham (father of Derek and Kelly), Annette l’Heureux (mother of great grandchildren Emily and Joshua), and Spencer Stevenson (father of great granddaughter Autumn).

Her Nova Scotia sisters in law, Irene Flemming, Helen MacLeod and Beverly Williams adopted her as a sister to the Compton clan and were very close throughout her life. Other Compton brothers and sisters by marriage, Margaret Rossiter, Rose Kent, and Jack and Frank Compton predeceased her.

She moved with her family to Carp in 2000 and was fully mobile, with a walker. She became wheelchair bound after a fall and moved to Garden Terrace in 2023 where she was proud to be the oldest living person on her floor and the spelling bee champion.

Over the years, she told us many stories about her childhood and living through the Great Depression. She loved reading, crossword puzzles, game shows, word games and spelling, a throwback to her secretarial training (no spell checkers then). Her memory was so good, that she was the family historian remembering birthdays, anniversaries and family and world events.

Marie, a beacon of kindness and love, will forever reside in our hearts. As we grapple with the loss of her physical presence, we find solace in knowing that her spirit lives on through the memories we have of her. She has gone to join her beloved Fred.

The family thanks the staff of Garden Terrace for the excellent care she received while she was there.

A celebration of life will take place on Friday, September 6 at the Garden Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, 3440 Richmond Road, Ottawa, Ontario. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 AM, followed by a service at 11 AM in the Tubman Chapel. The ceremony will be live-streamed, and attendees must pre-register. To pre-register and view the live stream, please visit Marie’s tribute page on the funeral home website.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Multiple Sclerosis Society.