Elizabeth Jean Foley

Betty passed away January 31, 2011 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton. She joins her husband, Bill, who died July 1, 1985, in North Andover, Massachusetts. Betty was born March 17, 1925, the daughter of George and Mary Hutton, who emigrated from Dundee, Scotland, after the First World War. She was raised in east Hamilton, living on Robins and Cambridge avenues, and was working in the office at Mercury Mills in the 1940s when she met Bill, a knitter at the plant. She watched with pride as he moved onto the executive of the local union and then began a full-time career as a trade unionist, eventually rising to the position of Secretary-Treasurer of the United Textile Workers of America, the highest ranking Canadian in an international union at the time. That position took Bill and Betty from their home on Brentwood Drive on the east Mountain to Massachusetts in 1978. Bill also served on Hamilton city council as alderman and board of control member from 1960 to 1970 and his many duties to his union, the city and numerous other organizations led to Betty being a full-time homemaker and assuming a lot of the responsibility for raising their five sons, Bill Jr. (Sheila), Doug, Dave (Debbie), Michael (Dee) and Kevin (Linda). Betty is also survived by grandchildren Amanda (Sardo), Marisa (Young), Krystal (Towns), Marlon, Jennifer, Melanie (Harris), Diana, Samantha, Mitchell, and William, seven great-grandchildren and sisters Dorothy Thompson of Hamilton and Janet Richer of British Columbia. Betty was predeceased by daughter-in-law Margarita Repcyte-Foley in 2008. A long-standing member of the St. Margaret Mary parish and CWL, Betty made many friends through her years bowling at Sherwood Lanes and as a dedicated bingo player. After Bill’s death, she returned to Hamilton and slowly started a new life. She traveled extensively around the world, enjoying fine food, good company and the occasional trip to the local casinos. But she was always happiest in Hamilton with her family nearby. Betty broke her hip on Christmas Eve and, after surgery at St. Joseph’s, contracted c. difficile. Her courage, strength, enduring faith and her love of family was evident to the end. She said it best, “I did it my way.”

Her family will receive friends at the Cresmount Funeral Home, 322 Fennell Ave. E. (905)387-2111, on Thursday from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church on Friday at 10 a.m. Cremation will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Good Shepherd or the Salvation Army would be appreciated.