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Mar. 17, 1928 - Jul. 27, 2015


Dolly was born on March 17, 1928 in Champion Creek (Blagodatnoye) to William and Matrusha Postnikoff. She was the eldest of five children, of which the two boys remained to help their parents to hang on as the last resident family.


After Matrusha’s approval, Dolly married John Makaroff in 1955, and moved to Castlegar to live with John’s widowed mother in a small house on the riverbank across from the Waldie Mill, where John was employed. Two boys were born to the couple in this setting: Walter in 1956 and John in 1958. Marcia followed in 1964, but the girl died in infancy.


The family responsibilities expanded as other children gravitated to the hospitality of the Makaroff home and needed supervision in the hazardous riverside setting. As time passed, John and Dolly became the main caretakers of her sister Lucy’s children as well. Her parents and brothers were resettled to town in 1974, and became frequent guests. It was a full household, demanding of continual commitment and generosity.


After her husband’s death in ­­­­­1997, Dolly continued to cater unflinchingly to the needs of nephews and siblings, even as her own health started failing. The hardest blow was the loss of her vision. Her nephew Steven was her principal caregiver during the last difficult phase of her life, which ended on the morning of July 27.


Dolly was predeceased by her husband, sister Helen, and brothers Bill and John. She is survived by sons Walter (Diane) and John (Pam), both of Vancouver; her youngest sister, Lucy Rigby; and nephews Steven and Edward

(Julie, Samantha, Trevor) Rigby, and

Walter and Larry Bartsoff.



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