Florence Hall

Florence Hall nee Elam passed away of natural causes at the Cambridge Manor care facility in Calgary, Alberta on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the age of 105 years. In her remarkably long and full life, she touched the lives of countless friends, family members, clients, and caretakers with her kindness, sense of humour, and sharp wit.

Florence was born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, England to Fred and Susan Elam on December 6, 1920. At the age of five, she immigrated to Canada with her parents and three siblings—sister Edith and brothers Fred and Albert—settling first on a farm in Saskatchewan before moving to Melita, Manitoba, where she raised her son Wayne. In 1962, Florence moved to Calgary, where she went to cosmetology school and opened her own beauty salon, Pleasant Beauty, in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Calgary. She successfully operated her salon until her retirement in the early 1980s. Florence loved flowers and flower gardens, and after retiring kept a beautiful garden at her home.

In 2001, she moved into Spruce Lodge, where she lived for 22 years before moving to Cambridge Manor in 2023. At Spruce Lodge, she tended bar at social events and was chosen for many years to recite the poem “In Flanders Fields” in commemoration of Remembrance Day. She enjoyed curling from her twenties until she moved to Calgary, often serving as the skip of her team, and playing darts, especially at the Legion in Melita. Florence loved a proper cup of tea and a good mystery (or romance) novel. She was a proud and true Canadian, Calgarian, and Anglican.

Florence was predeceased by her mother and father, her stepmother, her sister Edith Weidenhamer, her brothers Fred and Albert Elam, and niece Gladys Sanders.

She is survived by her son, Wayne Hall, and his wife Zoe, of Longmont, Colorado; granddaughter Megan Hall, her husband Mike Pies, and their son Isaac, of Longmont; grandson Patrick Hall, his wife Lauren Swenson, and their two sons Harlan and Hayes, of Denver, Colorado; her niece Freda North, of Lethbridge; goddaughter Ashley Donohoe, her husband Andrew, and their children Will and Isabella, of Calgary; Ashley’s parents, Brenda and Al Skiber; and many loving grand-nieces and nephews from Alberta and Manitoba.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the staff at Spruce Lodge and Cambridge Manor for their compassionate care. Florence’s humour, independence, and grit will live on in the family and friends she leaves behind.

A family service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Royal Canadian Legion in Florence’s memory.