Dorothy Daniells

Dorothy Daniells 1910 - 2007. Dorothy started with the Preston - Galt Club in 1957 and joined KWAS in 1960 where she was a founding member of the club. Back then meetings were held at the Victoria Park Pavilion in Kitchener on Tuesdays (Dog club met upstairs/Fish club downstairs). KWAS held it's Show & Auction there for 2 years. The club became inactive in 1973 but was restarted in 1975 in response to university student requests for a local tropical fish club. When the club restarted there were 31 people present and because the room was so crowded they had to find a new place to gather. The club then moved to the Adult Recreation Centre in Waterloo and the meetings were held on Tuesdays as they were before and continue today. Dorothy and her late husband owned and operated Waterloo Aquariums on Bridgeport Road from the basement of their house from 1960 to 1990 when the business was sold to George Reist who moved operations to Franklin St in Kitchener. Some members have referred to their store as one that is often imitated but never duplicated. Bob Daniells (Dorothy's late beloved husband and co-owner of the business) died in September 1981. Shirley Pipe, a fellow KWAS member assisted Dorothy on weekends at the store until it was sold.
Tropical fish were bred in a back room in the basement and if you were really 'in' with Bob you got to see the operation and some of his special fish. Many current hobbyists and club members can trace their interest in the fish hobby directly back to the Daniells and their unfailing support of the club through-out the years. In fact our service award is known as the Bob & Dorothy Daniells Service Award and was awarded to Dorothy in 1982 (at that time it was known as the Bob Daniells Service Award). Dorothy's named was added in 2002. Both Dorothy and Bob were also active in the Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs CAOAC for many years. Both held various positions in both clubs ranging from president to lunch committee, a position which Dorothy held from the start of the club until she retired from the club in 2001 due to health issues. The club celebrated Dorothy's 90th birthday in 2000 with a surprise party and lots of cake! Both Dorothy and her late husband Bob were instrumental in KWAS hosting the first of many CAOAC Conventions in the area.

The first of which was 45 years ago at the Concordia Club in Kitchener with the next Convention at the Bridgeport Casino the following year. Other sites included the Preston Galt area (1971), Kitchener (1981) and Waterloo (1989 and 2001). Dorothy was awarded the 25 Years of Service Award by CAOAC in 1997. Sadly Dorothy passed away in June of 2007. She will be missed by her many friends she had in this hobby.