Elizabeth Betty Lyne Lafontaine

Elizabeth “Betty” Lyne Lafontaine

Tuesday, February 17, 1959 Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan - Tuesday, June 6, 2023 Victoria, British Columbia

Betty didn’t want cancer to get the best of her. From the moment of her diagnosis, she insisted on preserving her dignity and her hopefulness; she was protective, proud and grateful for the life she had lived.

Betty loved life, plain and simple. She practiced straightforward communication, looking on the bright side, living in line with her values and upholding both old and new traditions. She was practical, optimistic, generous, competent, curious, open hearted, imaginative and steady. She wore many hats: mother, wife, sister, auntie, niece, cousin, friend, worker, host, mentor, mimi(grandmother), storyteller. Betty loved her family and friends; she loved her home, the ocean, the beach and boats. She loved learning, visiting, instigating, planning, participating and laughing. She loved driving, walking, snowshoeing, paddle boarding, wearing flip flops, dipping bread in salad dressing, collecting dishes and listening to the CBC.

Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Betty grew up playing basketball, dancing around the house to Nat King Cole and listening to Métis folklore shared by her granny, mother and aunties. Her childhood influences created inner ribbons of good intentions, possibilities and goals that weaved together the fabric that became her positivity, level-headedness and resolve.

At the age of 19, Betty packed up her spirit of adventure and her prairie hospitality and moved to Victoria, BC in time to ring in the new year. The boats, clustered in the city’s inner harbour, played “Auld Lang Syne” on their horns and she knew she had found her new home. How fabulous! Her tenacious vision of the big picture encouraged her to find value in lifelong friendships; to enter into a long lasting marriage with Rob White; to build a rewarding career as an activity worker at an adult day centre and to start a family of her own.

Betty loved her boys, Adrian and Liam. She was a dedicated, proud, mama bear who encouraged and supported activities such as reading, camping, skiing, eating blue cheese, sipping wine and debating politics. Betty and Rob raised them in a family system that encouraged strong family ties, emphasized the importance of friendship, and modelled the joy of making and sharing good food. Their home became a gathering place that always had an open door, a full-to-bursting fridge, and a coffee pot at the ready. Their whimsical backyard was a meaningful place that hosted over 30 years of celebrations: birthdays, graduations, a wedding, and just because there happened to be too much fish in the freezer.

Betty was a woman of action. Decisive, helpful, practical, dutiful, opinionated, diligent; she was a hard worker and a natural leader. Enthusiastic, playful, caring, confident, she was a good friend who loved a themed dress-up party: Dîner en Blanc, Pink, Pirate, Tiki, Mardi Gras, Halloween. She could really ham it up in a photo booth!

When Betty retired at 55, she set about traveling regularly to Fort Myers, Florida, where she could explore her dream of the retired, sun-kissed life. She loved it there and made a tight group of like-minded friends who were keen to match her get-up-and-go. She knew how to find her people, build community, talk to anybody and source the local treasures, wherever she went.

Betty was surrounded and lifted by love. When her life dramatically changed during this past year, her remarkable family and friends poured in from near and far to gather around her, hold the space for her, laugh and cry with her. She met her fate with courage and used her last bit of agency to leave this earth on her own terms, surrounded by her people. Betty’s hopefulness, bravery, and mental fortitude were louder than cancer. Her unique voice, grace, and wisdom will continue to resound in our memories. Her zest for life, eagerness to relate, expressive sense of humour, dancing eyes and beaming smile will be dearly missed.

Written with love by Leslie Dyer and Raine Gmoser