Doreen Marilyn (Renwick) McRae

DOREEN MARILYN MCRAE (nee RENWICK) 

November 2, 1940 - October 19, 2025

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our Mom and Grandma, Doreen McRae. Quietly and with grace, exactly how she'd lived her life.

Predeceased by her husband Brent, left to mourn Doreen's passing are her children, Lori and Duane, Daryl and Mike, Karen and Martin, along with her grandchildren, Bailie and Jon, Eric and Vanessa, Alex and Layne, Maya, Mackenna, Nicholas, Wesley, and great-grandchildren, Archer and Everett. Along with many, many family members and friends.

Doreen was born on Nov. 2, 1940, the first daughter of Jack and Verna Renwick. She was raised with her brothers Ron, Orville, and Bob and her sister Marian on the family farm in Coulter, Manitoba. She told many stories of growing up on the farm, doing chores, riding horses, and being pulled to school in the horse drawn sleigh in the winter. She was an avid ball player and rumor has it she was a pretty good pitcher!

As a young adult, Doreen moved into Winnipeg to attend Teachers' College. After graduating, her first teaching job took her to Belmont, Manitoba. She married her sweetheart, Brent McRae of Elva in 1962 and they relocated to start their married life in St. Boniface. Doreen took a job teaching Grade 5 and 6 at Lincoln School and was fond of telling people there were "45 kids in her class and one of them was 15!" She delighted in telling stories of the students she remembered and was very proud of her time as a teacher. She never really stopped as between Sunday School and her own kids, she was always teaching somebody!

A new job for Brent in 1968 meant a move to Emerson which was where the family expanded . Lori, Daryl and Karen arrived and the family of five was set. 1974 saw a move to Pilot Mound where Doreen and Brent put down permanent roots and became business owners with the purchase of an IGA store. No longer a stay at home mom, Doreen was most often found behind the counter at the store. Being someone who thoroughly enjoyed connecting with others, Doreen was a natural to meet you at the 'til... always with a smile and a kind word. She saw many advances come and go in the business and was always up for learning a new piece of technology or a new system as the grocery business became "online". 30 years passed by in a blink with raising kids, running the store, belonging to community groups such as the United Church and the Kinettes, working with the United Caterers, and living a full and busy life. The grocery business provided the opportunity to travel the world and Doreen was very proud to share that they had visited over 20 different countries from Costa Rica to China!

Always the very best Grandma, retirement saw Doreen and Brent moving to Morris to be closer to the grandchildren. Her grandchildren were without a doubt her absolute pride and joy. Always with pictures to show and stories to share, Grandma was always the first one to say yes when asked to an event, the first to offer to drive or pick up a kid. The move to the south end of Winnipeg in 2014 made it so much easier, and now the kids could be found at Grandma's for lunch, hanging out after school, asking for special snacks like homemade chocolate chip cookies, or for a ride to hockey! This usually included an extra kid or two, and Grandma delighted in getting to know the kids' friends as well. Many friends have sent messages since her passing sharing how much they enjoyed seeing her at the ball diamond or in the hockey stands. She was especially proud of the newest addition of her two great-grandsons.

Connection was always very important to Doreen and she cherished the many, many people that passed through her life. Whether related or not, everyone was family. She delighted in finding a link to someone she knew and would keep questioning you until she found a commonality! Her smile, her selflessness, her grace and her genuine love for her family will be deeply missed by all of us. We are happy that she is once again with Dad and watching over us with love.

A Celebration of Life was held for Doreen at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at Trinity United Church, 933 Summerside Ave, Winnipeg. Private burial to follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to a charity of your choice.

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