Doris Mary (Bennett) Hillis Obituary

Doris Mary Hillis, age 90, passed away after a short battle with cancer on July 26, 2020 in Penticton, B.C. Canada. She was born on December 1, 1929 in Epson, Surrey, England to Douglas and Doris Bennett. In her early years, she attended the City of London Freemen’s School where she developed her interest in English literature and history. She went on to earn an honours bachelor degree from the University of Nottingham. She began teaching school in southern England and the Channel Islands. She immigrated to Canada in 1955 to take up teaching jobs in rural Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, Manitoba and earned a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Manitoba. She married William Hillis in 1960 and moved to Macklin to start a new life grain farming and to raise their daughter Sandy. Her passion for literature never waned through the family years and she stayed active among the Saskatchewan writers circle, publishing books of poetry, reviews and a memoir and working on plays and a novel. Doris is survived by her grandson Tyler (Juel) and her great grandchildren Fayt, Vivienne and William . Doris requested that there be no funeral or memorial. Donations in Doris’ name may be made to the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, P.O. Box 3986, Regina, SK, S4P 3R9, the Saskatchewan division of the Canadian Federation of University Women Incorporated, P.O. Box 7405, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 4J3, or the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, 602B 51st St., Saskatoon, SK. S7K 7K3.