Erla Louise Mottram

Erla was born in Kimberley, BC and grew up in Brisco, BC. She was the eldest daughter of pioneers of the Columbia Valley Jim and Doreen Tegart, who guided hunters on horseback into the Height of the Rockies area (now a park) and stocked Rolf Lake and Queen Mary Lake with cutthroat trout.

Erla graduated from Vancouver General Hospital in May 1963 as a Registered Nurse, then got married shortly afterward to Laurence Mottram. After nursing for several years in Pediatrics, she and Laurence moved to Calgary and raised three children. When the kids were in their early teens, she returned to school and completed a Mental Health Nursing Diploma. Later, she became the Client Care Director for the Accessible Housing Society supportive living residences for spinal cord injured individuals, for approximately 20 years until she retired. She created the care plan that became the gold standard and the base of the care attendant program at Bow Valley College.

She and Laurence hiked and cross-country skied almost every mountain pass in Banff, the East Kootenays and the Kananaskis. They were intrepid outdoor adventurists, and they led their children, family and friends on many backpacking overnight hikes and adventures.

After Laurence died in 2004, she moved to Radium Hot Springs, BC and in the winters for 20 years, she travelled in an RV and then a van with her friends across the United States. In her final three years, she moved to Kelowna, BC and traded in her Toyota RAV for a carbon electric wheelchair which she rode to the Thompson Marsh nearby her home to paint en plein air.

Erla was the most vivacious, bright and dynamic woman who had a knack for making you feel at ease. She baked bread, watercolour painted and gardened. She never stopped moving even when she was in pain. As an accomplished watercolour artist of over 30 years, she started both the Radium Hot Springs Library Art Guild and then the Okanagan Mission Library (Kelowna) Watercolour Painting Group.

After her husband of 41 years Laurence Mottram died in 2004, she painted in Italy, France, Texas, Arizona, and Hawaii. The highlight was Italy’s Val d’Or Cia region, with its slender cypress trees and rolling landscape. Her mentor was Karen Richter of Calgary. Later, Erla became a mentor to many painters who knew her.

She was predeceased by her parents Jim and Doreen Tegart, her eldest son Gavin, and brothers Dennis, Larry, and Cody Tegart. She leaves behind sisters Sherri Newcomen, June Burrows and Susan Tegart and brother Garret Tegart.

She leaves behind her children Courtenay (Shawn) Pitcher, Stephen (Nenet) Mottram and Sabra Mottram.

She deeply loved and leaves behind her grandchildren Soleil (Emilie) Pitcher, Quinn (Ona) Pitcher, Abigail Ducie, Ophelia and Lauren Mottram and great grand-daughter Sophia plus many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She had a full, exciting and fulfilling life with a large family and many friends. She deeply cared about others. She will be so missed and forever remembered.

Erla says, “See you on the other side of the mountain.”

A private celebration of life will be held later this year where her ashes will be placed in the Windermere Cemetery Columbarium nearby her parents and grandparents.