Elsie "Else" Lewer

In 1944, at 18, Else won a clerical job placement at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa. In 1950, she married Neil Lewer, a real estate agent and developer. During the Fifties, she worked with the National Film Board and the National Design Centre. In 1963, Else became an assistant creative director for the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal and the Japan World Exposition in 1970. Else and Neil divorced in 1965. She enrolled at Carlton University studying Russian, English, and philosophy. By 1972, she had earned master’s degrees in anthropology and cultural geography. After the Expos, she researched and developed themes for the Victoria Memorial Museum in Ottawa, and later worked with the Dept. of Indian and Northern Affairs as senior research officer on Indigenous land claims and socio-economic programs. She also collaborated with pre-eminent Canadian industrial designer Robin Bush and provided market research for many of Robin Bush’s diverse design projects. They became business partners and close friends. In 1977, Else moved to North Vancouver and she and Robin extended their professional scope across Canada. After Robin Bush died in 1982, Else worked as a market research consultant until 2000. In retirement, she travelled, enjoyed jazz and classical music, and read the classics in English and Russian.

In 2013 at age 88, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and went into long-term care. Else died on March 9, 2025, at age 99. Her family thanks the excellent staff at Agassiz Seniors Community for making Else’s last few years comfortable.