Obituary

Betty – Elizabeth Nora Miller (nee Horton) peacefully crossed the finish line of her life on Friday, June 14th. Family and friends supported Betty as she ran her last lap. She is dearly missed by her family, Russ Horton, Heather Denny, Dawn Large and her ten nieces and nephews, Michael, Andrew, Dorothy, Fred, Elly, Alex, Charles, Naomi, Marijke, Bo and their families.

What was essential to Betty (Betsy) (Queen Elizabeth) (Nurse Betty) was her family and friends. Her natural awareness of others and their needs was a thread that ran through her life.

She grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, except for two elementary school years in Nigeria with her family. When the opportunity arose after high school, she headed off to the Bahamas to serve the underprivileged for a year and, as a bonus, met George. After their wedding, they moved to Nome, Alaska, where Betty nursed in a rural hospital, often flying out to small villages to help the sick. She used her small hospital training in the larger Alaskan and Texan hospitals. Betty loved learning, completing a Master’s in Health Education in Texas and a Master’s in Christian Studies at New College Berkeley, CA. Betty’s Christian faith was vital to her, and it deepened as life threw her curve balls. From these curve balls, her learnings, faith, and friends stood her in good stead.

Returning to Alaska, Betty worked as a school nurse with the Kenai School District. She excelled in this role. ‘Nurse Betty’ loved the kids, coaching track and cross-country, making practice times fun, being a school nurse on multiple school trips, including Russia and Europe, and sitting beside kids as they and their families went through hard times. Betty received the Alaska School Nurse of Excellence Award for her impact, creativity and professional standards. She loved Alaska, especially all her friends, the community and hiking in the ruggedness of the north. While happily an American citizen, she was a Canuck at heart. Betty travelled to all of Canada’s provinces just to see and learn about each one. Israel and the Galapagos Islands were highlight trips, along with her regular visits to her family.

Early in her twenties, Betty unfortunately acquired a brittle form of type 1 diabetes. This disease challenged her everyday living and empowered her health education work. After retiring, Betty received a double organ transplant. She was in constant amazement at being free from her decades of insulin dependency. She moved to Bellingham, WA, to be closer to her Victoria family, the Pacific Northwest and her organ transplant support team at Virginia Mason. In her way, Betty again reached out to neighbours, helped in her faith community, and hung out with her favourite (and only) Bellingham cousin, Eva. This time for Betty was a new lease on life until the long-term effects of diabetes began to show with dementia. Even with this new challenge, Betty’s faith in God never wavered. She continued to make friends and seek ways to help others, especially those who were alone or facing challenges.

Betty spent a life of giving as a nurse, and in her final days after her fall, she was on the receiving end of exceptional medical care at St Joseph’s Medical Centre Hospital and finally at Whatcom Hospice.

Betty, we miss you and the care, fun, and love you have poured into our hearts.

In lieu of flowers, please consider one of the following organizations in Betty’s honour.

Mercy Ships,  World Vision  Doctors without Borders CA, Doctors without Borders USA