Betty grew up in the small town of Haliburton, Ontario, a three-hour drive from Toronto. Growing up in a small town taught her the value of community at an early age, through the simplicity of small-town life and the quiet comfort of knowing someone was always nearby. After finishing high school, she felt called to serve and enrolled in the Salvation Army’s training college.

After graduating from the Salvation Army Training College in Toronto in 1965, she was deployed to the small town of Westville, Nova Scotia, for nine months before being recalled to serve on the college’s training staff. After a couple of years in that role, she was appointed to work at a children’s home in London, Ontario, for emotionally damaged children. She then pursued nursing training at the Salvation Army hospital and became a registered nurse. Upon her graduation, she worked for a year at an obstetric hospital in Montreal, Quebec.

In 1994, she travelled to England to train as a midwife. That training prepared her for a 12-year deployment to Malaysia and Singapore, where she ran a clinic and worked with youth and seniors in care homes, leaving a lasting impact through her dedication to health and community service.

Betty reflected on a story from her time as a midwife in Malaysia, as if it had happened yesterday. It was late one night, and she was the only one on duty at the clinic when a woman came in to deliver her baby. Her tests said she was having one baby, but Betty was surprised when a second was on its way feet first after she delivered the first. With no backup, no time to transfer the mother, and no room for error, she whispered a prayer and focused on delivering the second baby. She said she could see the precise diagrams from her training for high-risk births. Ultimately, her training prepared her to deliver the second baby without complications. Betty still calls it a miracle and gives God the credit, saying it could have gone very differently.

After serving at the clinic in Batang Melaka, Malaysia, she moved to Singapore to work in three children’s homes. She found joy in walking alongside the children through their challenges and triumphs. During this season of her life, she met a young boy who left a lasting impression on her heart. She described him as bright and curious, always asking questions. When she was later transferred from one children’s home to a boys’ home, she was surprised and delighted to find that he had already moved there just before her arrival. Even after she left Singapore, she kept in touch with him. What began as a chance encounter in a children’s home became a lifelong bond. She became a steady presence in his life, celebrating milestones such as his graduation in Texas and his wedding day in Manila, the Philippines, and later embracing a new role in his family as Mom and Grandma Betty to his children.

In 1987, she returned to Canada and rejoined the Training College, where she mentored new students and taught for a year. Later that year, Betty was appointed to serve women across Canada through camps and retreats, often speaking and offering biblical encouragement for their faith journeys. She concluded her active career in the Pastoral Care Department at Headquarters, providing care and encouragement to officers and employees. Although she retired in 1998, she soon returned to work in the Personnel Department at Head Office.

In retirement, she shared a condo with a dear friend and Salvation Army colleague. Drawing on her nursing background, she cared for her friend during the final five years of her life. Through that chapter, she grew close to her friend’s family, weaving another strand into the rich tapestry of chosen relationships that filled her life. They welcomed her as one of their own, and over time they became the family she never expected but deeply cherished. A few years after her friend passed away, Betty began discussing a move to Shepherd Village with her newfound family. She moved in during 2020 and has embraced this new chapter with open arms, finding joy in meeting new people and building new friendships. Now in her 80s, Betty continues to serve her community on the residents’ council, living out her lifelong commitment to care and connection. She also had the chance to reconnect with a childhood friend from her hometown, whom she hadn’t seen in over 40 years, during a trip to Niagara Falls with some of the Manor residents. The reunion was full of laughter over memories long tucked away. When I asked how she managed to hold on to friendships for so long, her answer was Christmas cards. Her story is a beautiful reminder that love knows no borders and that family can be chosen, found, and nurtured in unexpected places.

Betty laid the foundation for deep, lasting relationships throughout her life of service, rooted not in obligation but in mutual understanding, trust, and respect. She didn’t just care for people; she saw them and listened. She gave her time and heart without expecting anything in return. In doing so, she cultivated a community that chose her as much as she chose them. To serve others is to recognize their full humanity, to treat them not as projects or responsibilities but as equals deserving compassion, dignity, and love. Betty’s story teaches us that true connection doesn’t always come from shared bloodlines but from the daily decision to serve. In a world that often values self-reliance and individual success, her life is a powerful and moving example of the strength that comes from community. For Betty, the most fulfilling path in life is serving others, using her gifts to make a difference in the lives around her. True leadership and impact come not just from words but from teaching by example and living out the values you hope to pass on. As 1 Peter 4:10 reminds us,

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”