Dorothy Anne Reid (Aug 25, 1918 — Jan 13, 2020)

This year the Reid family on Oak Road said goodbye to their matriarch, Dorothy, and her beloved son, Jim. Dorothy Anne Reid was born in 1918 and died in 2020, entering and leaving during world pandemics. Her parents, Tom and Annie Wright bought 100 acres in 1923 at Kilworthy Road and Hwy 11 (ITLDU), plus 112 acres of waterfront at the south end of Kahshe. (They sold the Kahshe property in 1948 for $450.)  

Dorothy spent much of her childhood at the farm with her grandparents who operated a grocery store and gas station. She fondly told stories of “The Nagaya Beach Gang” raiding their fruit stall, attending the little red one-room schoolhouse, and helping her Granny who was the local midwife and helper of girls ‘in trouble.’ 

She married Douglas Reid and both served in the army during WWII, Dorothy in Orillia and Doug overseas. They had six children and when Jim was thirteen, they bought two lots on Oak Road. Even though Doug died suddenly while building the new addition and son, Bill, died at the cottage three years later, Dorothy remained at her cottage for another fifty years. Dorothy was generous, feisty, and hardworking. Throughout her life, she volunteered for many organizations, including for years as secretary for the Oak Road Cottagers’ Association. 

Our family was devastated when only six months later James Douglas Reid, Jim, to his family and friends — died at 66. He leaves behind his wife, Rosemary, and sons, Jamie, Mark and Andrew. Throughout his childhood, Jim enjoyed summers at rented cottages in Muskoka, most often on Kahshe Lake. He remembered fondly when Pop Wright doled out nickels to buy ice cream on South Kahshe Road, or popsicles at Denne’s. Our Uncle Tom, who tested motor boats, would take Jim and the many cousins waterskiing. Later, Jim would test out his own handcrafted kayaks on the lake. 

Like his father, Jim spent his holidays working on the cottage instead of relaxing. He was a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ and could build or fix anything. One of his many hobbies and interests was brewing craft beer, which he also enjoyed at the cottage. Life will never be the same at the cottage, especially since the marks of Dorothy and Jim are everywhere, but, just as Dorothy had the courage to carry on after tragedy, so will the Reid family on Kahshe Lake.