Lila Jane Willis Beach

Lila passed away peacefully, one day after her 94^th birthday. Dear mother of  Bruce (Katya) Willis, Whitehorse, YK; B.J. (Barbara Jane) Willis (David Miles), Montague, PE; step-son, Charles Beach, step-daughter, Elizabeth Krakowski and son-in-law, Burns Proudfoot.  Lila is also survived by granddaughters, Genevieve Loughlin (Kerry), Halifax, NS; Rebecca Nicholson (Dylan Taylor), Toronto, ON; Kate Willis, and Emma Willis, Whitehorse, YK.  She was pre-deceased by her daughter Janet Elizabeth Willis and infant Catherine Jane Willis.  Lila’s early years were in Dilke, Saskatchewan where her parents homesteaded. In 1935 the effects of the dust bowl caused the family to split up. Lila went from a one room school house to a large high school in Buffalo, New York. She graduated from Hutchison High School and later moved to Toronto where she worked for the Globe and Mail. In 1942 she married Bruce Willis, who soon left for overseas with Conne Smythe’s 30^th Battery.

When Bruce returned in 1945 the growing family moved to various locations in Ontario. In 1958 they moved to Montreal, where she was active as the President of the Consumer’s Association of Canada. When Bruce died in 1964, Lila returned to work as a student advisor at McGill University. There she met and married Earl Beach. On retirement they settled in Waterloo, Ontario where Lila quickly became involved with Habitat for Humanity and Knox’s Presbyterian Church.

Throughout her life, Lila was a force to be reckoned with. She did things her way with honesty and great generosity. She never complained and was always the eternal optimist. Her work ethic, sense of fun and strength will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.

Special thanks to the staff at Terrace on the Square, Waterloo, ON; Perrin’s Marina Villa and King’s County Memorial Hospital, Montague, PE.

A memorial service in celebration of Lila’s amazing life will be held on Monday, January 30^th at 2:00 pm at Knox’s Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb Street W. Waterloo, ON with a reception to follow at the church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity.  Arrangements have been entrusted to Ferguson’s Montague Funeral Home.