Elizabeth Elva Wilton (Nee Ball) Emond & Lane.

Elizabeth (Betty) was born in the city of Toronto, Ontario. The second born child to Mary and Roy Ball, Elizabeth was close to her older brother William (Bill) and the two had many great adventures together growing up in the city.

For most of her life she was known as Betty. Although a select few they always called her by her given name, Elizabeth. In her later years she began to introduce herself as Elizabeth. To her close friend, Barb French, she was known as “Queen Elizabeth”.

Elizabeth (Betty) started work right out of high school working for Bell Canada as a switchboard operator. From there she moved on to office work in downtown Toronto. She married her first husband in 1947 (Garnet Emond) and had her first daughter Suzanne Elizabeth Boyd (nee Emond).

One of mom and Garnets favourite past times was roller dancing at the Mutual Arena in downtown Toronto.

In the late 50’s they divorced, and she married her second husband Peter Vernon Lane in 1960 and had twins Mark Jonathan and Melanie Anne. During their marriage they had some great times living in Keswick around the corner from Elizabeth’s parents. While Elizabeth worked for Sterling Winthrop in Aurora, Ontario. Peter retired from his job, and they bought the Roches Point General Store in 1976. Running the store was an adventure. We had a lot of fun times there and hosted weeks when family would come stay with us in the country. Always fun to be had. In the 80’s after the twins were grown Betty and Peter divorced and eventually Betty was introduced to Ron Wilton.

They married and mom helped him raise two of his daughters through their teen years and into adulthood. Monique Wilton and Rhonda Wilton Hillyer. Elizabeth and Ron tried their hand at running a restaurant in Norland Ontario and had a whole lot of fun doing it.

Elizabeth has always been an artist of many talents. The twins and their older sister could remember her and their dad having easels set up in the living room, where both would create wonderful paintings. Elizabeth also tried her hand at soap stone carving and loved to take courses in different mediums. Always expanding her creative abilities. In the late 1970’s Elizabeth decided she was going to learn to sculpt figures from clay. She joined a pottery group and asked if anyone could teach her the art of hand building. She was given the phone number of Diane Neal. She called and introduced herself and asked if she could please give her lessons in sculpting. At the time Diane had a busy life. She was a full-time public-school teacher, a wife, a mom of three wonderful boys and was also taking university classes. She politely declined. Well, being a persistent person, she called twice more and finally Diane agreed to meet her and teach her to sculpt. Thus began a friendship of two Kindred Spirits who would forge a bond that lasted to this day. Our families all became friends and mom had many amazing adventures with the Neals. From one on one with Diane to trips and events with the whole family. We know they all miss her dearly and we are so grateful to have their loving support.

Betty learned so much from Diane and continued to sculpt until very recently. Betty began sculpting animals and had a love of sculpting dragons in her early years. She loved sculpting all kinds of characters and became known at one point for her apples and pears.

Elizabeth moved her life to the west coast in the 1990’s to be closer to her son (Mark Lane) and his growing family. Once she was settled, she began to look for a pottery studio to continue being creative. She always loved to have a job, so she took a part time job, for 20 years at Walmart’s photo lab. And joined Parkgate Pottery in her spare time. There she continued to hone her craft. Betty met so many amazing people who fast became friends. Liz DeBeer, the wonderful woman who runs the pottery studio took mom under her wing right from the beginning and they became fast friends. She worked hard to curate a friendship with fellow potter the late Barb French as well. Two more lasting beautiful friendships forged from her creative life.

Melanie moved out west to be close by, as her mom was aging. She settled quickly with a great job and soon her mom was helping her with her work. Elizabeth taught Melanie to sew when she was little and so when Melanie became a seamstress for film, her mom dove right in to work with her. She always said it kept her young and she loved working closely with her daughter, and Melanie couldn’t have been happier. We enjoyed road trips up the coast and visits to little shops over the years and would love to go on all kinds of adventures together.

Melanie says “I will miss the Sunday dinners and a movie with mom at my place. Mom you were my best friend, my rock and my confident I loved you yesterday, today, and forever more!”

Mom taught us all so much in her long life, she was so outgoing and happy and loved to laugh and share any time she could with family and friends. Mom was always a fun loving, strong, confident artist, she always said, “Life is beautiful!!!” She was just recently summed up to me by a good friend like this: “She was amazing and a shining light to us on how to age gracefully with purpose no matter the years”. We couldn’t have said it better!

Throughout her life Mom loved country living and country drives. Many of us shared the crazy drives where we would just jump in the car and head to back country roads, never knowing where we would end up. Sometimes lost for hours but always knowing we would find our way back. We will always remember the laughs we had over many years, the many fun crazy things we did and conversations that so often were misheard and had us in stitches! (Sue, Kate)

Elizabeth is predeceased by both her parents and her brother, and all 3 of her husbands, each who contributed something wonderful to her life.

She is survived by her daughter Suzanne, her Twins Mark and Melanie, her step daughters Monique and Rhonda and her wonderful grandchildren, Adam Tittelmeier(Lane), Cole Handel Lane, Marley Handel Lane, Miranda Moujabber, Bryer Hooyenga, Matthew Hooyenga and Stacey Lanterman. She also leaves her only great granddaughter Addison Tittelmeier who she absolutely adored!

Also lovingly remembered by Kate Spatuck someone she forever considered a daughter. And Waiglmga Sarah Xanuis (Hanuse) her beautiful native daughter.

Mom was an inspiration for her family and friends! Her contagious laugh, her steadfast loyalty, her cheerful and positive outlook, as well as her artistic approach to life are all qualities that will be forever missed by those who loved her!

Please join us in Celebrating her life and sharing the fun memories of such an amazing inspiration to us all. If you have a story to tell about our mom we would love to hear it!

Saturday August 5th at 3pm

In the new party room at Kiwanis Lynn Manor

2551 Whiteley Court, North Vancouver, B.C.