Peacefully at Headwaters Health Care Centre, Orangeville on Wednesday, April 25, 2018, Elizabeth McIlmoyl LeGard, in her 95th year, beloved wife of the late Alfred John LeGard. Cherished mother of Louise Harding. Loving grandmother of Reginald Harding and Duncan Harding. Predeceased by her brothers and sisters-in law John and Ruth Beach; Hugh and Jean Beach.
The family will received their friends at the Egan Funeral Home, 203 Queen Street S. (Hwy. 50), Bolton (905-857-2213) Monday afternoon 3 – 6 o’clock. Funeral service will be held in the chapel on Tuesday, May 1 at 11 o’clock. Interment Sanctuary Park Cemetery, 1570 Royal York Road, Etobicoke.
Condolences for the family may be offered at www.EganFuneralHome.com
Barb Imrie
Louise, Reg, and Duncan – I remember the “Betty” visits and the tomato plants your mom donated to my garden. My Dad spending time with your dad.
Our family send our love to you.
Barb, Russell, Beatrice, Allison and Douglas Imrie
Joseph Vella
Louise, so sad to hear of Betty passing. I spent countless hours in your mom’s company, in pleasant and engaging conversation, particularly at the various music centred activities which tie us together. I will miss her every time we get together for a song. God bless her and all of you.
Eleanor Beach
Aunt Betty was a wonderful aunt who made my siblings and me feel, especially as children, very much loved. She gave us lovely, well-chosen gifts at Christmas and birthdays, and gave us thrilling treats, like my first visit to Stratford when I was 12, a real highlight for me, and a Maple Leafs hockey game for my brother, also pretty exciting! And right to the end, she remembered us on those special occasions. I’m glad we had a nice Christmas gathering this last time, with lots of singing, which she loved. She will be remembered fondly.
Jean Presley, Don and Lynn Barkley
Louise, your mother was a wonderful cousin and we will miss the visits with her. She had such a beautiful smile! She had a long and happy life, being well looked after by you. My mother feels so sad at losing the last relative of her generation.
We are not able to be with you at this sad time but will hope to see you in the coming months if you are free to come east…
Shirley Mabee
Louise, your mother Betty and your father Fred were our greatest friends. From chinese food nights with the kids to great times in Orillia and at the cottage with the ‘old folks van’ your family and ours Had great times together. Your mom wrote great , if somewhat hard to decipher, letters that Gord and I would wrestle over who would read them. Betty was always smiling and thinking of others. We will miss her but will have many fond memories. Our deepest sympathies,
Gord and Shirley Mabee and family
Jeanne Egan
Dear Louise and boys
I wish to extend my sympathy for the passing of your mom. Your kindness to her will never be forgotten and will
help you heal along with the love of friends and relatives
Jeanne
janet lloyd
louise – much sympathy. your parents both welcomed me into their home and hearts. many memories of pizza, music, camping, and so many more times. your mom’s ability to keep up correspondence is a thing i will always envy. thinking of you and the boys. much sympathy, many hugs and much love
maureen kowal
Dear Louise
We were away and couldn’t make the visitation or funeral. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time, May The God of peace comfort you in your sorrow. Thinking of you fondly
Maureen and Dennis Kowal
Christine McClarnon
Dearest Louise,
A few memories below, on your Mom, whose kindness towards me during my youth, has never left me.
Love,
christine
Betty, together with her husband, Alf, who were the parents of my very dear teen-aged pal and buddy, Louise, will remain etched in my memory as having been strong pillars of friendship, decency, honesty, kindness, commitment, and community-mindedness, values that impressed me during my teen years, when I first met this beautiful family.
Because of their strong and principled values around fair treatment of others, I was drawn to this family like a magnet, and found myself spending a good part of my teen-aged years visiting and interacting with them. Their friendship nurtured my development during the difficult teen years that we all must somehow navigate, and I will never, ever forget how they softened, shaped, and strengthened the challenges I faced struggling through the teen age. When I think of the good things in my life during those years, I think of the LeGard family.
As with Mom, I found that I could share and speak freely with all members of the LeGard family about my social insecurities (so common to every immature person) and relationships with others. Betty (whom I addressed “Mrs. LeGard” during those years) was schooled in the social sciences, and had a great interest in people. When I went to visit Louise, by default, the visit also included Betty, who would contribute much to our discussions about anything that happened to interest us in those days. (It was likewise, when Louise visited our home, Mom and Dad would participate in the lively conversations we used to enjoy). I saw Louise’s Dad, Alf, perhaps a little less, because of his work, and his hobby on the printing press (although he was great for razing me with puns and jokes over the telephone). But he often poked his head up from his below-stairs pursuits when he heard his kitchen come alive with the sounds of ladies all excitedly conversing about this person, this happening, that person, that thing, that occurrence. Even he couldn’t hold forth his curiosity when his daughter and her friend would burst through the doors with news about the goings on in the community that we had created for ourselves amongst our friends and families, and I would always feel honoured when he came into the room to join in the conversations.
I feel so grateful, so very grateful that Betty and Alf joined in the friendship, and did not distance themselves as some other parents might from their teens. Louise and I were very fortunate that our parents presented no barriers to our friendship, and they nurtured it with love and kindness. This allowed Louise and I to spend hours upon hours in happy company, including in the homes of our parents.
And how we delighted, then, when our parents would occasionally visit with each other, and how excited I was when Louise’s entire family was invited to my parent’s cottage, so that we could spend an entire weekend together. Or when the LeGards invited our family over for a Christmas meal. After Dad died, and Mom and I moved to British Columbia, Mom and Betty would continue to phone each other and exchange news, and I was grateful that they had forged an enduring friendship. The most difficult thing, when anyone makes a long distance move from Ontario to British Columbia, is how that can impact a friendship. Our two Moms kept something beautiful alive, through the telephone, and I cherish that about them.
Just recently, I was looking at the poinsettias we have growing on our windowsill (bright red yet at the end of April) and mentioned to John (my spouse) how Betty LeGard had a knack for reviving poinsettias from year to year. She diligently and steadfastly put them into a closet in the fall for 12 hours each day, for a couple of months, and this would stimulate them to set bloom. Thus, I was introduced to her “green thumb”. Betty was the gardener of the family, and I somehow vaguely (and perhaps also inaccurately) associate marigolds and perhaps tomatoes in my mind’s eye with the family yard, despite that my memory hazes over, as we did not spend any time at all in the yard. The poinsettias I see with great clarity, and always associate them with Betty LeGard who was able to revive them into great beauties each Christmas, as well as with Mom, who could never buy enough poinsettias every Christmas.
One thing Louise’s parents did, and I thank them deeply in my heart for that, was to provide Louise with a musical education. Louise was an expert pianist already as a teen, when I met her. She practised diligently and whenever she played, she never made any mistakes (unlike myself, who constantly goofed up throughout the music). I really admired how beautifully and accurately Louise played, and how expressively. She never banged away at her instruments as I did (I was not as well trained), and had a very tender touch. Both Betty and Alf were avid appreciators of music, and they always encouraged Louise and I to make music together. Somehow, they put up with my awkward musicianship, so that we could simply enjoy company making music, and what joy that brought to us!!! The injection of music into our interactions bring life to my memories of the LeGards, and this added a special dynamic to our relationship, as it allowed Louise and I to take part in many musical activities. We both played violin in the school orchestra, and thus participated in the school musicals. We participated in the school choir. Louise strongly accompanied my shaky violin and accordion music on the piano, and we sometimes went to seniors homes to provide music for seniors. Betty also lined up some musical activities in her church in which we would participate.
Something that sticks out vividly in my memory is the number of times Betty would come and pick me up for a school event. We lived in a neighbouring school district, and thus our neighbourhood was not conveniently located to our high school (to which I would bus daily). My parents, both having full-time jobs that left them dead tired in the evenings, were not inclined to take me to school recitals and after-school activities. If it were not for the goodwill of Betty LeGard, I would have been taking the bus to these events. Not only did she pick me up before the events, but she dropped me off at home as well. I don’t know if I ever found the words to thank her adequately for that kind of support. My parents did not want me to develop dependency on them for things like that, especially as they had taught me to use the bus, or walk, at a very early age. That did not stop me from feeling very grateful to Betty LeGard for all the taxiing she did for me during those years.
Every year, for an anniversary celebration, Betty and Alf would go to the Italian Restaurant for a meal. How honoured I was to be invited along to enjoy a meal with the family! I will not forget the beauty of the kindness bestowed upon me, and how something like that can endure in the memory for life, even though the minute details of the decor, or even what we had for supper, have long since faded. Likewise, I can remember my excitement to be invited with Louise and her parents to their annual camping trip. Experiences like this help nurture a young person’s lifelong love of nature, and can never be trivialized within the realm of reflective appreciation.
The LeGards encouraged Louise to develop a solid lifelong skill in art and sewing. I recollect what a talented artist Louise was, and the gorgeous textile crafts she made with sewing and needlework. Nowadays, I encounter very few parents who provide opportunities for their children to learn artistic and craft skills, and I think Louise was very fortunate that her parents made it possible for her to hone these valuable skills as a youth. Louise thus brought a lot of beauty to my life with handmade gifts that I have to this day (knitted sweaters, beautiful needlework, beautiful sketches). I imagine that some of the artistic talent also flowed forth from Alf, who had a keen eye with his vintage printing press, and used to design beautiful Christmas cards and print them with this press every year. The memories of Louise undertaking so much beautiful textile work during our youth, has lately inspired me to think about starting to learn sewing and crafts in my middle age. And in the background, we can be thankful to Betty and Alf for nurturing this interest.
It is with love and gratitude that I remember Betty LeGard in my heart, as one whose kindness brought something profoundly special to my teenage years, never to be forgotten. That love is deeply intertwined with the love for her entire family unit (Louise and Alf), as one of the precious beauties that a person experiences so seldom, and perhaps only once, in a lifetime.
Rev. Jeff Werner
Louise, apologies for not getting to the celebration of your mom’s life today.
I had intended to be there.
A word of thanks for your mother’s love for the Bolton United faith community.
Betty was always thinking of the church although she was not able to attend.
It was always good to have a visit with her to hear more about your family,
the history of the United Empire Loyalists, the stories of the handmade furniture / lamps
in the apartment. Betty enjoyed sharing the memories. Grace, peace & hope.
Juli Roslin
Louise,
I am so sorry to hear that your mom passed away this last week. Although we have not been in contact for a long time, I often think of the times when we worked together on our Christian musicals, knowing that your mom was one of our greatest supporters. She will be missed, but not forgotten. Please know that I am thinking of you & your family at this time of bereavement.