Margaret Doris Sikora, passed away on November 9, 2021, at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. She was born in Chatham, Ontario on November 8, 1942 to Dr. Arthur and Mary (McMillan) Huffman.
Doris worked in many occupations throughout her life, but her favorite was when she graduated from Wayne County Community College in Detroit, MI and became a Registered Nurse. While she enjoyed taking care of patients at many of metro Detroit’s hospitals, Doris found her true calling when she was hired at Detroit’s all AIDS Hospice. Her kind and caring heart was perfect for this position and she stayed there through the end of her nursing career.
After retirement, Doris continued being a Hospice nurse but with a different population, she started rescuing Rottweilers. Doris fostered and adopted abused dogs that were terminally ill, giving them a good home for the short amount of time they had left. Additionally, she worked tirelessly to get dogs out of bad homes, kill shelters, and puppy mills all over North America. Doris was still working on helping dogs up until the day she passed.
Even though Doris turned her energy to rescuing Rottweilers that did not mean she lost her interest in people. According to her, no one was a stranger, she only had to start a conversation. There wasn’t anyone Doris would not talk to, and she was truly interested in you, and wanted to know you. Doris did not want to talk about herself, your story was far more interesting. With her disarming way and truly caring manner, within five minutes she would know your life story and you would walk away with a new friend.
Doris loved her family and friends and nothing made her happier than hosting parties or spending time with them at her home in Erieau. There was nowhere else in the world that made her happier. Having bbqs in the summer or packing as many people as she could into her small house in the winter brought her so much joy. Regardless of whether it was family, old friends or new, Doris’ love of Erieau and people shown through every gathering she had.
She is predeceased by her husband Hank, her son John Lane, her daughter-in-law Suzy Lane, her brothers Joseph and Bruce Huffman and her sister-in-law Jane Huffman. She is survived by her children Steve Lane (Suzy), Henry Sikora, Natasha Sikora, and York Sikora (Vanessa); her three beloved grandchildren Hank, Blake and Hazel Sikora; her sister Annabelle Salter (Charles), her brother Arthur Huffman (Margaret), and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins.
A celebration of her life will be held in spring 2022. Memorial contributions can be made to Rottweiler Rescue at https://donate.rescueme.org/rottweiler or to the Erieau Fire Department Association. The family is deeply grateful for the care given by the nursing staff of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance 4th Floor, Med A., Dr. Andrew Lanz-O’Brien and Dr. Martha Clendenning.
