Aileen Mildred Porter

Aileen (Betty) Mildred Porter (née) Hales, our GG-O, passed away on November 18, precisely as she would have wanted and precisely as she spent her life - surrounded by the love of her daughters.

Born on February 28, 1927, in Regina, Saskatchewan, Betty moved to Victoria in 1941 and attended Oak Bay High School. She completed her training as a morse code operator as WWII ended, married David George Porter, and together they had six daughters.

While it might not always have seemed like it, our GG-O had extraordinary good luck. She spent decades living in her home in Victoria, of which she was very proud. Her immense intelligence and creativity allowed her to see and create the beauty in life, from almond Rocca to raspberry syrup to licorice ice cream, sewing and tailoring from tutus to fine clothing.

She loved Butchart gardens, cashmere sweaters and bold floral prints overflowing with colour. She was a voracious reader; she was our Jeopardy Champion. She was our family historian, our English history professor, and our culinary wizard. She was our crossword puzzle aficionado, our fashionista, our social butterfly. She loved feeding the neighbourhood cats, swimming at Oak Bay Rec and watching Downton Abbey and Anderson Cooper. She was our matriarch. She was our needle and thread. She was our courage.

Courage. That's the tea that GG-O brewed us. While each of us takes different pieces of her with us, her courage is the benediction that will forever ground us to the roots she laid.

Betty is predeceased by daughters Laura Louise Porter and Allison Janet Alden. She is survived by her daughters Elizabeth Ann Gillies (Jim), Robin Jennifer Elise Woods (Michael), Anne Marie Munson (Christopher) and Catherine Constance Porter. She will forever be missed by her six beloved grandchildren and their spouses, eight beloved great-grandchildren and three beloved great, great-grandchildren as well as her brother, Richard Hales.

In memory of our GG-O, take a moment to listen to a wild wind storm rattle your windows, treat yourself to a hot dog at Costco, and splurge on a new pair of shoes.