Betty Dorothy BRONSON

Betty was born on April 28th, 1928 to Charles and Emily Nork of Cornwall, Ontario. The couple had two children—Patricia, oldest by seven years -- and youngest child Betty. Betty’s parents had emigrated from England and there were no relatives living in Canada so Betty grew up without knowing any aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces or nephews. Although very shy, Betty enjoyed childhood friendships and the closeness of small-town life. She worked for several years as a Bell Telephone Operator. She married neighbour and school friend Ervin Bronson in 1950 and together they raised 3 girls.

Betty was a devoted mother and homemaker. She loved to be in her kitchen and later became an outstanding cook, delighting her family with fabulous meals, baked goods, home preserves and more. For years she sewed many of her daughters’ clothes herself, after trips to woolen mills to buy fabric; she was also accomplished at knitting. She kept her house spic and span – all in all Betty was a very house-proud woman.

Encouraged by Betty’s father Charles Nork to relocate to Vancouver, BC – a place Charles considered one of the finest cities in the world – the family began a new life there in 1966. The family quickly fell in love with “Beautiful British Columbia.”

A year later, Betty’s father passed away. Her mother, Emily, relocated to Vancouver and over the next several years, Betty assisted her aging mother until Emily eventually passed away in 1983.

After a long period of renting houses, Betty and Ervin were able to buy their first home in Vancouver in 1972. Ervin, always handy, renovated their older home and added decks, gardens, and a finished basement to the house. Their small city lot was bursting with beautiful flowering trees and shrubs, a large vegetable garden, hanging baskets, a rock garden and more. Betty kept the inside clean, cheerful and inviting for her family. Betty also returned to work during these years, at a local 5 & 10 store. She enjoyed the day to day interactions with customers and liked helping them with their purchases.

Ervin continued to work in various Lower Mainland mills until his retirement in 1989. In 1992 Betty and Ervin sold their Vancouver home and retired to Parksville, BC to enjoy a quieter lifestyle. They loved their new home in Parksville where Ervin had an even bigger garden and Betty spent many happy hours in her kitchen. Their daughters eventually followed Betty and Ervin to Vancouver Island where once again the close knit family celebrated many birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions. Betty’s sister Pat moved to Parksville in 1994 to be closer to her sister.

When Ervin was diagnosed with cancer in 2001, Betty – who had stopped driving – drove him faithfully to his chemo treatments in Nanaimo for over a year. Ervin lost weight but Betty concocted ways to nourish his body with every bite he took. Eventually his cancer went into remission. Betty’s sister Pat fell ill at this time and she decided to relocate to Ontario in 2002 to be close to her son. She passed away in 2003. Betty’s health declined over the years. Ervin was devoted to her and he eventually took over cooking all their meals, under Betty’s tutelage. The couple were always passionate about healthy home cooked food. Betty and Ervin celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2010 but the following year Betty passed away, at age 83.

Betty is survived by her loving husband Ervin, daughters Judith Anne {Robert}; Carol Emily {Serge}; and Cynthia {Henry}; and grandsons Daniel and Richard.