Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Dear Family and friends, It was with great sadness that I learned of my sister Betty's death on the 3rd of May this year. . Alas, I will not be able to attend her funeral seviceon the 7th in Perth, Ontario. I know I can speak for Simone, my wife, my children Kathleen, Michael, Sean and Derry, my grandchildren and great grandchildren when I say that our Betty, known to some as Maureen, will remain in our hearts with fondness and admiration. She was our link to our family's past and heritage. She is the one who brought her father and all but one of her siblings here to Canada from England all those years ago after our mother died (1954). She had already taken in our dad and seen him off to a new start . She was our pathfinder. Not long after Dad, I arrived, and then Mike, then Sean and Mary, then Pat , Eileen and their offspring.... We all came and became part of Betty and Len's family along with their daughters, Maureen and Jennifer. We were all made welcome and given shelter and support for as long as it took to get established in Canada. And Betty, being the way she was, welcomed not only us, as relatives, but others in need too such as Shirla and Ricky. And then there were all her students at Sheridan and in Nova Scotia who to this day still honour her as colleague, mentor and friend. Of course, such outgoings of love and duty take their toll on even the strongest of us. Betty had to weather many a family and personal storm. And she had to battle inner demons that we can only guess at. But Betty was strong and brave right to the end. There is so much more I would like to say about her. Her fortitude, her resilience, her service to her country (OUR country) in the Royal Air Force in WW2, her talents as an artist, her accomplisments as a true individual. She was my last sister. I loved her. I admired her. I will always remember her with affection and joy. Go well Sister dear. Derry
