BETTY FARRER GOULD

BETTY FARRER GOULD
September 19, 1918 – November 12, 2020
Betty Gould died peacefully on Thursday, November 12, 2020 at Manitoulin Centennial Manor, Little Current at 102 years old. Born to English parents on September 19, 1918 in Perth, Australia, her father was a rubber plantation manager in Malaysia. The plantation was on the edge of the jungle, so her mother traveled to Australia which was considered a more suitable setting to give birth. After WWI the family moved to England. As a young adult Betty was a teacher, and was always involved in amateur theatre, reveling in the writings of Shakespeare and other great poets and playwrights. In the 1950s she and her good friend Bettie Apenes decided they both were tired of their jobs and wanted to add a little adventure to their lives. Bettie A. was a registered nurse and Betty G. had some nursing experience from WWII, so they came to Canada and got jobs at a hospital in Oshawa. Further adventures were calling them, so they purchased a one-ton panel truck and kitted it out with bunk beds and camping equipment, then taught themselves to drive it! The plan was to drive as far as they could on the money they had and then find jobs to replenish their coffers. They made it to Alberta and found work to support the remainder of their Canadian stay, then returned to England. But life in England after their adventures in Canada proved too stultifying and so they returned to Canada to work for the Red Cross. Betty went to Sudbury to study to be a Registered Nursing Assistant (RNA) and they intended to take up jobs in Uxbridge. But before they left Sudbury some friends insisted they see Manitoulin Island. It was love at first sight and they knew they had found their home. “The Two Betties,” as they were known in Mindemoya, settled on Manitoulin and nursed at the Mindemoya Hospital. Betty was instrumental in the activities of the theatre group in Mindemoya, offering her experience and wit to both acting and directing. She was a member of the Manitoulin Nature Club, Amnesty International and a Layreader at St. Francis of Assisi Anglican Church. She was a lifelong learner, always curious, open-minded and intrigued by new medical and scientific developments. She had a vast library of poetry and theatre scripts stored in her memory and could readily recite an excerpt for any occasion. Her continual reading and interest in the world kept her mind sharp and bright for over a century. Betty was predeceased by her dear friend Bettie Apenes in 2007. Betty was much loved by all her family, most of whom live in the UK, and by her adopted Canadian family Mary and John Buie of Kagawong and their children. Friends and family will forever cherish memories of this remarkable, unconventional woman. Cremation has taken place. There will be a Celebration of Betty’s Life at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Manitoulin Centennial Manor Auxiliary or a charity of your choice. “Our revels now are ended: These our actors, as I foretold you, were all spirits, and are melted into air, into thin air …We are such stuff as dreams are made of, and our little life is rounded with a sleep,” from The Tempest by William Shakespeare.