Doris Mary Gutzman (nee Paquette)

Doris Mary Gutzman, loving mother and friend, passed away peacefully on December 31, 2022, at age 90.

Doris is survived by her children, Frank (Meg), John (Laura), Monique (Rob), Jacqueline (Ken), Paulette, Danny (Christine), Pierre (Karen), Henry (Maureen), and Anita as well as 13 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great grandchildren.

Doris was born in Deep River, Ontario into a family of eight children. When she was 7, Doris moved in with her aunt and uncle (Olive and Fred Langlois) and their two children. Doris later returned to Deep River (which was then called the Atomic Energy Town) where she married Lionel Bertrand and raised 7 children, plus adopting 2 relatives as teens, after their parents both deceased. She and her husband built the family home; in addition, the whole family built a camp in the wilderness of Quebec so that the children could learn and enjoy nature. This home is still being enjoyed today by grandchildren. 

In 1971, Doris took a trip to BC to visit siblings and fell in love with the mountains and stayed. In 1982, she married Carl Gutzman with whom she shared 25 wonderful years. Together they built a home in the country and spent endless days doing her favorite things: hunting, fishing, picking berries, exploring the backcountry, enjoying siblings, children and grandchildren and helping others.

Wanting the devil to know which side she was on; Doris was always ready to help. She was an integral part of the functioning of the Trinity Lutheran Parish where her focus was social outreach. She always jumped in with both feet and volunteered countless hours for over 30 years maintaining the church property, creating the “clothes closet” and helping with drop-in meals and community outreach among other things. Many benefitted from her willingness to lend a hand, her practical problem solving, her passion for berry picking, her love for feeding and helping others and her determination to live life on her own upbeat and simple terms. Doris was always busy doing something and she had many skills. She could fix or make just about anything, and she was very inventive, often heard to say, “Give it to me, I’ll fix it.” She enjoyed sewing and crocheting and she would make hundreds of items to raise money for the church or when a repair was needed.

In the summer, Doris was almost always outside, from sun up to sun down, exploring the “bush,” and picking 1000s of huckleberries, which she would sell. Her garden was always overflowing and she pickled and canned. Doris loved to hold garage sales and her organized nature lent itself well to finding a new home or use for just about everything. Doris wasted nothing, including her time.  She would always have a book with her and she loved to read; she also loved to sing and play the guitar.

Doris will be remembered for her many outstanding qualities including her fierce determination, her generous spirit and her love of life. Donations in Doris’s name can be made to the Trinity Lutheran Church in Golden, BC or the British Columbia Wildlife Federation. 

A memorial to celebrate her life will take place at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Golden on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 11:00 am.