Diane Nancy Doray passed away peacefully on the morning of March 31, 2025. Cherished mother to Linda (Ron), Leanne, Kathleen (Bill) and adored Grandmother to Kate. Beloved sister to Leonard (Debbie), Norma, (Duncan-deceased), Johnny, deceased, Buddy (deceased), Sister-in-law to Audrey. Dear companion to Eric.

Born in Montreal and named Diane, her brother Buddy famously renamed her, ‘Nancy’ after hearing the Frank Sinatra song, “Nancy with the Laughing Face.” Nancy’s heart was as big as her smile was bright. 

She was born and raised in Montreal and lived there her entire life. She attended Marianopolis College, and began acting, and was the lead role in the stage play of ‘Sabrina Fair’. She would go on to grace the stage in many productions with the Lakeshore Players. Shortly after graduating with her B.A., she married her high school sweetheart, Murray Bolton, which ended after 24 years.

Their first daughter, Linda arrived on the day of their one-year Anniversary. Their second daughter, Leanne arrived a year later, and Kathleen two years after that, completing their young family. Nancy accepted a job as a secretary in the legal aid office of Concordia University which sparked what would become an illustrious career as a lawyer. Her strong sense of empathy and compassion along with her unfaltering commitment to justice motivated her to achieve her degree in law. She was ultimately appointed to the position of Adjudicator at the Immigration and Refugee Board, where she quickly distinguished herself as a committed advocate for the most vulnerable. In addition to sitting as a Member, she led the Montreal-based IRB Working Group on Women Refugee Claimants. The professional development and outreach undertaken by the Working Groups culminated in the Canadian Guidelines on Gender-Based Persecution. Even after leaving the IRB, Nancy remained committed to her private clients and offered them comfort and counsel, as few other lawyers could. Her success in charting new initiatives throughout her career would take her to far away places such as Rwanda and Thailand.
She pursued her love of travel every chance she could. She spent many happy times visiting her family in Vancouver, and Kentucky, and loved spending time in Maine, the Laurentians, and visited England, Ireland, France and Mexico.
 

When her granddaughter Kate arrived, the role of Grandma brought a new level of joy into her life. Their bond was extraordinary, and Kate loved going to Grandma’s for tea and a chat.
Nancy made each Christmas a magical one, with her talent for creating elegantly wrapped gifts, each one carefully placed under the tree. She loved and cherished all her family and friends, and her family and friends loved and cherished her.
In recent years she began experiencing serious health challenges which she met with bravery and grace. She moved into the Maxwell Residence, where she quickly became beloved by the staff and residents alike.
 

We, her three daughters are moved by all the love and support from everyone whose lives our beautiful, intelligent, giant-hearted, compassionate, joyful mom touched. There are no words to express how much we will miss seeing her radiant, beautiful smile, the light in her eyes, hearing her laughter, and the simple joy we felt just being together. She left this world a better place, and we are honored, lucky and blessed to be able to say that Diane Nancy Doray is our mother.
 

We’d like to thank the staff at the Maxwell for their excellent care.

Family will receive condolences on Tuesday April 8th, 2025 from 1 to 2 pm. A celebration of life will take place at 2pm followed by a reception. Events will take place at the 

Belvedere Funeral Complex

22025 Trans-Canada Hwy, Senneville, Quebec H9X 0B2

For directions, click here