Elizabeth Gardner passed away on June 24, 2019 in Victoria, B.C. at the age of 101.
Born in Southport, England, her favourite childhood years were those spent in Weymouth. Despite her love of languages and literature, for practical reasons she studied at the London School of Economics, graduating at the beginning of WWII. Having met her future husband, Jim, in her final year at LSE, she crossed the Atlantic in 1942 in a convoy to marry him. She worked at the Bank of Canada until the birth of her child in 1947, then devoted herself to various volunteer interests and delighted in furthering her reading in literature, religion, and psychology. When Jim was posted at the United Nations Secretariat in New York, she blossomed, active in the United Nations wives club, and taking lessons in French, Russian and yoga. They followed New York with 10 years in Halifax after which they retired here to Victoria in 1980. Here, she became a devoted member of the Jane Austin Society and finally, in her late 60s, she got to do a master’s degree in French literature. Her love of literature lasted throughout her life and, in her 90s, she would still break into reciting by heart, complete long poems by Blake, Tennyson and other favourites, and was still able to get answers to the daily cryptic crosswords, even when her sight required that the clues be read to her.
She was predeceased by her parents, brother James (Jimmy) Stephens, and by her husband C. James (Jim) Gardner. She will be remembered and very much missed by her daughter Sheila (Kirk Robertson), granddaughters, Kirsten and Karen Robertson and great-grandson Connor Basmajian, her sister-in-law Monica Stephens, nieces and nephews, Alison, Tim, Hilary, and Andrew and their families, also long-time friends and caregivers.
Service of Remembrance at St. George’s Anglican Church, Cadboro Bay on Friday, June 28th at 10:30 am.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salvation Army, The Garth Homer Society, or another local charity of your choice.
“Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace.” Proverbs 3:17
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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Andrew Hoskins
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Allan Neale I had the very great honour of knowing Mrs. Gardner for many years. She was an elegant lady in the old-fashioned sense of the word — someone with whom Jane Austen herself would have been proud to share a parlour. Sincere condolences to Sheila and family.
Condolences from our family. Elizabeth was a long time friend of my mother, Alice. When my mother stayed winters in a cottage in Mill Bay, she visited our family and one memorable story was when Elizabeth and my mom bundled into my truck and went off to the “girls” Reiki evening.