Obituary of Doris Mae Knauff

You can shed tears that she is gone,
Or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left behind.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her,
Or you can be full of the love that you shared.
(She is Gone, by David Harkins)

It is with great sadness that we share with you that our beloved matriarch, Doris Mae Knauff,
went to be with her Lord and Saviour on March 17, 2025. She passed away peacefully at home
with family.

Doris was born in Toronto, Ontario on April 30, 1924 to Mary and Laverne Moulder. The
second of five, she is preceded in death by sisters Blanche Thomas and Mary (Dolly) Sakamoto,
and brothers Ron and Lenny Moulder. She is survived by her daughters Karla, Donna (husband
Peter Tatar) and Kendra and her grandchildren: Rebecca (Beckie), Shiloh, Mika, Jordan and
Elijah. Their Biblical names are a testament to the strong faith she lived out and passed on to
her children. She was blessed with great grandchildren Noah, Aurora and Oliver.
Doris lived her life with strength and honesty, kindness, generosity and humour, and an inner
contentment and peace that are too rare. She was an avid reader and had a passion for delving
into the deeper spiritual truths of her Christian faith. She loved the simple pleasures of
life—family get- togethers, long drives, feeding and watching the birds…and garage sales!
Having grown up during the depression, she loved a bargain…and the opportunity to tell you
about it.

Quiet and reserved by nature Doris possessed fortitude and resilience that saw her through her
ten decades. Much to everyone’s surprise, Beckie convinced her to leave her beloved Toronto
and move cross-country. And so, at 85 she packed up and moved to Summerside, PEI where
she quickly became a fan of a PEI staple, the local dairy bar. Crediting Jesus, vitamins and Mary
Kay for her long healthy life and never looking her age, Doris celebrated her 100 th birthday in
Summerside with family and friends.

But perhaps her greatest legacy, Doris would want a word of comfort to those she leaves
behind, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in
death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have
fallen asleep in Him.” (I Thessalonians 4:13-14)

Doris’ life will be remembered and celebrated at a future date in Toronto, the place she said
would always be “home”. In lieu of flowers for condolences, donations can be directed to
Hope House Summerside at https://www.islandpregnancycentre.com/donate, a Christian
charity whose mission is ”to provide caring support & housing for mothers and infants in need;
empowering them to create a healthy and sustainable family life”.