Obituary of Carol Ann Dillon (née Woiceshyn)

Carol Ann Dillon (née Woiceshyn), born March 16, 1944, and grew up on Battle Street, Thorold. Carol was a competitive baseball player, featured regularly in local newspapers. Apparently, she gave her brothers - all wrestlers - a good fight on the mat as well.

At age 16, Carol moved to Toronto and started work in a textile factory where she learned to make clothing. She invested in her own sewing and serger machines to produce clothing for her son and, later, grandchildren. Carol married Peter Quinn Dillon in 1965 and bore one child, Donald. Carol divorced Peter in 1983. She eventually moved to Hamilton for a work opportunity, purchased a home on Hamilton west mountain, and resided there for 32 years.

Carol worked in accounting and bookkeeping, sales and customer service. She eventually became a purchasing agent. With just a grade 10 education, Carol returned to college to obtain a certificate in Purchasing Management, becoming an esteemed member of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada.

Carol’s later years were riddled with physical decline, depriving her of the extensive travel she planned for. Personal support workers and assistive devices kept her in her home for as long as possible. Carol
returned to Niagara in early 2020 to be close to family. She was a resident at Linhaven in Saint Catharines.

In her final years, son Donald took her for wheelchair tours all seasons, as long as the weather was agreeable. Carol is survived by Woiceshyn siblings Timothy Peter, Glenn Edward, Donna Marie, Daniel Mark, by son Donald and daughter-in-law Cheryl (née Ruller), by grandsons Gabriel and Noah. She is pre-deceased by younger brother Paul Terry Woiceshyn.

Carol will be remembered for her generosity, humour, dignity, diligence, courage, playfulness, discernment, and her mother-bear protection of family. A funeral will be held Thursday, March 7, 2024, 10 am, at Fairview Cemetery, 4501 Stanley Avenue, Niagara Falls. Online condolences may be shared on Carol’s tribute page found at EssentialsNiagara.com.


Biography Edition

Carol Ann Dillon (née Woiceshyn)

The oldest of six siblings, Carol Ann Woiceshyn was born in March of 1944. This same year, Canadians landed with allies in the invasion of Normandy, Canadian troops liberated the town of Dieppe, proposals
for The United Nations were on the table, Tennessee Williams wrote the Glass Menagerie, and Montreal Canadians won the Stanley Cup.

Carol was a competitive baseball player, featured regularly in local newspapers. My understanding is she gave her brothers - all wrestlers - a good fight on the mat as well. Carol carried a newspaper route herself to earn money, and played the accordion.

At age 16, Carol moved to Toronto to live with Uncle Eddie and Aunt Mary. Carol started work in a textile factory where she learned to make clothing. She invested in her own sewing and serger machines
to produce clothing for her son, then grandchildren.

Carol married Peter Quinn Dillon in 1965...she was 21 years old. She bore a son, Donald, who would be her only child. After a difficult marriage, Carol divorced Peter in 1983.

Carol was hired to provide accounting and bookkeeping at M. Black & Sons (assumed by Castle Paper) in 1968. Her role grew to include organizing sales and customer service departments, handling
corporate accounts, recovering receivables, developing shipping policies, and training sales representatives. She eventually became a purchasing agent.

Carol left M. Black to work with Lilo Products (assumed by Bunzl Canada) as the Director of Purchasing. Here she embraced emerging computer technology to develop an inventory control and purchasing system. Carol managed imports and exports, negotiated vendor agreements, and raised customer service levels to 99%. The company grew from 9 employees to 69 during her time there.

With just a grade 10 education, Carol returned to college to obtain a certificate in Purchasing Management, becoming an esteemed member of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada.

When Bunzl downsized and retired a number of mid-level managers, Carol went to work briefly with Fred Systems of Niagara before accepting a purchasing manager position with Bass Paper & Packaging in the year 2000. She retired in 2009.

Carol’s later years were riddled with physical decline, depriving her of the extensive travel she planned for. She had moved to Hamilton, west mountain in 1985 for work, and remained in her home until early 2020.

Personal support workers and assistive devices kept her in her home for as long as possible, but progressive health problems resigned her to long-term care at Linhaven in Saint Catharines.

In her final years, son Donald took her for wheelchair tours all seasons, as long as the weather was agreeable. Carol died the morning of March 4th, 2024 in her room at Linhaven. She was 12 days shy of her 80th birthday. Carol is survived by Woiceshyn siblings Timothy Peter, Glenn Edward, Donna Marie, Daniel Mark, by son Donald and daughter-in-law Cheryl (née Ruller), by grandsons Gabriel and Noah. She is predeceased by younger brother Paul Terry Woiceshyn.

Carol will be remembered for her generosity, humour, dignity, diligence, courage, playfulness, discernment and her mother-bear protection of family.