FLETCHER, BETTY Betty Fletcher was born in Montreal in 1926, the only child of Harry and Joy McAuslane.
Betty travelled on the SS Athenia to England in August 1939 and was in England at the outbreak of WWII. She briefly worked in a small factory in Wales, helping to assemble gas masks for the war effort. The ship that took Betty and her parents back to Canada had to zig zag on the return journey to avoid German submarines. Betty graduated West Hill High School in 1943 and attended McGill University for one year before working at McGill until the birth of her first child. In 1950 she married Russell Fletcher and they had three children (Andy, Barbara and Judy). She was married to Russ (who predeceased her in 2009) for 58 martini and fun-filled years. At times she was a golf widow.
Betty had a great laugh, a big smile and a giant personality. She was generous with her time and took joy from family and friends. She loved the beach and for many summers could be found tanning her toes in the waves at Higgins Beach, Maine. For years, Betty was also a relied upon personal chauffeur for her children, their friends and her own parents and if not for her generous command of the wheel, their lives may not have flourished as they did! Betty also had an aptitude for curling and was a long-time member of the Pointe Claire Curling Club. In 1982 Betty served as third on the rink that won the Quebec Ladies Seniors. The following year Betty and Russ moved to Ontario and spent the rest of their lives there.
In Ontario, Betty was a volunteer at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital for more than 25 years. She also played tennis well into her 70’s. She and Russ travelled to Fort Myers, Florida for many years to vacation with friends. Betty was also an excellent cook and hostess and loved doing crossword puzzles.
The family would like to thank her compassionate caregivers at Waterford Long Term Care. Cremation has taken place. Donations may be made in Betty’s memory to Diabetes Canada.