Ms. Dione Deane Appleton

Hudson

1930 – 2024

Dione Deane Appleton, 1930-2024, of Hudson, Quebec, and Aiken, South Carolina, following a long and happy life. Dione spent much of her childhood in Trinidad and her school years at King’s Hall School, Compton, during which she holidayed with her MacLaren relatives, Uncle Roy and her cousins. There she began her lifelong love of animals and nature.  She enjoyed her Scottish roots and many things Irish, too.

Dione was predeceased by her two sisters, Elizabeth Robinson, UK, and Anne Stainforth, Victoria, BC.  She is survived by her nieces, Jill Stainforth and Sophie Benello, and nephews, Piers Stainforth and Richard Robinson. She was also predeceased by many deeply loved scotties, wire-haired dachshunds and horses, among them Noodle, Purdy, Oakley, Buttons, Triscuit, Clancy, Limerick, Paddy and Kiltie.

From an early age, Dione was passionate about, participated in and contributed significantly to all aspects of equestrian sports including showing, fox hunting and hunt racing before becoming an accomplished carriage driver. She had a keen eye for winners in the world of horse racing.

For over forty years Dione spent half the year in Aiken SC, her happy place, virtually family to the Stoker clan and many very dear friends. Up north, on her farm in St Lazare, she was Auntie Dione to generations of the Mackay/Mackenzie family.

In recent years, the care and kindness of her Hudson neighbours, Dorrit and Edward Janssens, her NOVA caregivers and Gwen Periard have been exceptional. The same was true of Jenne and Dacre Stoker’s tireless support and ongoing kindness in Aiken over many years. 

An informal memorial gathering will take place at Dione’s home in St Lazare on Saturday, August 3, at 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, Dione hoped donations might be made to:

Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind

4120 Rideau Valley Drive North, P. O. Box 280, Manotick ON K4M 1A3 (www.guidedogs.ca/donate), or

NOVA Hudson, 538 rue Main, Hudson QC J0P 1J0 (www.novahudson.com)

or in the USA to:

FOTAS (www.fotas.org/donate), or

Aiken Equine Rescue, 532 Glenwood Drive, Aiken SC 29803 (www.aikenequinerescue.org/donate)