Dorothy and Don Newton: Their spirit lives on
When Dorothy and Don Newton married in 1991, they had a lot in common. Both were widowed and had children from previous marriages. Both were active members at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Ottawa and volunteered in their community. Both of them liked to travel. And both them shared a desire to “do some good in the world,” as Dorothy said.
It was this shared desire that led to their decision to leave legacy gifts in their wills. Each of them made a choice and for Don it was Canadian Jesuits International (CJI). He made it in the form of an annuity and life insurance policy. He felt that CJI’s work in education and community development in the Global South was important and wanted to see it continue.
Don Newton was born in Montreal in 1920 and attended Loyola High School and College. That foundation was a motivating influence for his life of service to others, in the Netherlands during World War II and back in Montreal. With his first wife, Gertrude, he helped raise five children. After retiring to Ottawa, Don remained active hosting refugees, delivering Meals on Wheels and helping as a publishing associate for the Lonergan Research Institute.
Dorothy Newton (née Monette) was born in Ottawa in 1925. She worked for Metropolitan Life and later for the CBC. With her first husband, Paul, she raised two daughters. Over the years, she was an active member of the Catholic Women’s League and her sorority Beta Sigma Phi. She was also a volunteer at St Patrick’s Retirement Home and Meals on Wheels.
Don passed away in 2012 and Dorothy at the end of last year. Their legacy of love is cherished by their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It is also cherished by all the other people they touched through lives of service, and continue to touch through the work they support with their legacies. We are grateful for their lives and their generosity.
This article first appeared in the 2017 Spring & Summer issue of CJI’s Mission News.
