Doris Ruth Klam

Doris Ruth (Ellison) Klam
November 4, 1930 – November 5, 2025

With hearts full of gratitude for a life beautifully lived, the family of Doris Ruth (Ellison) Klam announces her peaceful passing on November 5, 2025, at the age of 95, surrounded by loved ones.

Born November 4, 1930, in Chaplin, Saskatchewan, Doris grew up under wide prairie skies, where resourcefulness and imagination were daily companions. Though her family had little, she found abundance everywhere—befriending a wild deer she named Pete, whose gentle visits became legendary in family stories. That early friendship, born of curiosity and compassion, foreshadowed the way Doris would connect with every living thing throughout her life.

She married her life’s companion, Ivan Leroy Klam, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on September 27, 1953, beginning a partnership that would span 72 years of devotion, laughter, and adventure. Together they followed opportunity and curiosity across the Prairies and beyond—living in communities throughout Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Washington State—before finally putting down roots in Lacombe, where they built the home that became their haven for nearly five decades. That house—filled with the aroma of cookies, the sound of laughter, and the warmth of her welcoming heart—became the gathering place for generations.

Doris is lovingly remembered by her daughters Lynnetta Klam and Carla Howard; her grandchildren Taneil (Quinn) Hagerty, Kyle (Jessie) Klam, and Ashley (Mathew) Davis; and her great-grandchildren Brody Whitecotton, Kenzie Klam, Khloe Klam, Easton Hagerty, Dakota Klam, and Jacob Davis. Her family was her greatest joy and her proudest legacy.

For more than two decades as a nurse at Lacombe Hospital, Doris cared for patients and colleagues with quiet strength and dignity. Her compassion reached far beyond the hospital walls—she served soup to the hungry, opened her home to the lonely, and offered gentle encouragement to anyone in need. She possessed a rare blend of grace and grit, faith and humor, order and warmth.

Beyond her work as a nurse, Doris believed deeply in caring for both body and spirit. A lifelong advocate of fitness and health, she stayed active through every stage of her life. She played basketball as a girl, curled and golfed with friends, hiked Alberta’s trails, and was a proud participant in the Alberta Seniors Games, where she earned a medal for running. Whether she was jogging through town or encouraging others to stay well, Doris embodied the balance between discipline and joy—reminding those around her that strength, gratitude, and movement were all forms of praise.

Doris lived her faith the way she lived her life—quietly, steadily, and in motion. Her grandson Kyle, who spent her final days reading scripture to her, later wrote that she “didn’t just talk about faith; she showed us what it looks like in motion.” To her family, she is love that listens, joy that steadies, patience that never rushes, and grace that endures. Through her example, she planted seeds of kindness that continue to bloom in every generation. The kingdom she built was here on earth—in kitchens, in gardens, and around family tables—where love was the lesson and gratitude the daily prayer.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Edith Ellison, and her brothers, George and Sidney Ellison, all laid to rest together in Chaplin, Saskatchewan; as well as by members of her Klam family who went before her—her parents-in-law Carl and Esther Klam, her sister-in-law and dear friend Marlene Fleck, her brother-in-law Byron Klam, and her nephews Christopher Klam and Cole Klam.

She will be laid to rest in Lacombe, the community she and Ivan called home for nearly five decades. The family finds comfort in imagining that love has already gathered her with those who went before—a reunion that knows no distance.

Doris and Ivan shared a lifelong belief in helping others, a value they lived both at home and abroad. Together they supported A Better World Canada, a Lacombe-based charity founded by their friend Eric Rajah, which builds schools, orphanages, and medical facilities for children in Africa. They were grateful for the opportunity to travel with Eric to Africa, to witness the lives being changed and to volunteer alongside local communities—an experience that reflected who they were at heart: humble servants of compassion in action.

Her granddaughter Ashley captured her grandmother’s spirit best when she coined the family phrase, “Do It Like Doris.” The saying quickly became a motto for all who loved her—a reminder to live with kindness, strength, humor, and heart. (Ashley and her cousin Taneil even talked about getting matching tattoos to honor her, but Doris gave that idea a firm “hard no,” followed by her signature laugh.)

She will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who were blessed to know her.

A Private Family Graveside Service will take place in December of 2025.

A Celebration of Life will be held on June 19, 2026 at 1:00 pm - Location to be decided.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to A Better World Canada (www.abwcanada.ca) so that Doris’s legacy of love and service may continue to brighten lives around the world.

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