ROSALIE PARKER

ROSALIE ELIZABETH (BETTY) PARKER June 2, 1949 - March 12, 2025
It is with deep sadness, that the family announces the passing of Rosalie Elizabeth (Betty) Parker (nee Aho) on March 12, 2025 at St. Joseph's Care Group hospital. Rosalie was a beloved wife, mother, granny, sister, aunt, cousin and cherished friend.

Betty was born on June 2, 1949 in Fort William Ontario. She spent her early years in Hymers and attended elementary school in Gilles Township, and Selkirk, PACI and Westgate CVI High Schools in Thunder Bay. Upon graduation, she married her lifelong sweetheart Gary Parker, and they began their lives together. After briefly living in O'Connor Township, they moved to Thunder Bay where they lived for 35 years, raising their family, and then returned to Gary's family homestead on Parker Road in Gilles before moving back to the city in her final years.

Betty was very kind with a warm and loving heart. She had a strong desire to care for children and make people feel loved. She was a devoted Granny and was happy to sit snuggling with her grandkids and singing silly songs or baking and decorating cookies with them. Wherever she lived, Rosalie created beauty through her passion for perennial gardening. Her favourite flowers were roses, and she loved butterflies. Betty delighted in baking for her family and friends, especially pies and cinnamon buns.

As a mature student, Rosalie went to Confederation College to take Early Childhood Education (ECE) and her Resource Teacher Certificate, graduating with Honours. She went on to successfully own and operate Northwood Daycare, a licensed 30 space childcare centre for thirteen years. After selling her business, she began working as a Resource Teacher for Communities Together for Children. Although she officially retired in 2004, her passion for early childhood education led her to Purple Camel Learning Centre for 19 more years, a job she loved very much because she could help educators with resources for teaching and learning. Rosalie believed strongly in education, supporting each of her children in turn to pursue post-secondary degrees.

Rosalie demonstrated SISU as a businesswoman and professional. Betty juggled her career while raising her family, and provided extended love and support to her sisters, brother, nieces, nephews, and good friends. As a devoted Christian, she helped wherever she could in the Free Methodist Church in Thunder Bay and O'Connor, teaching Sunday School, youth programs and the children's CYC program.

Betty and Gary enjoyed travelling. Over the years, they had many camping adventures visiting provincial and national parks with memorable road trips to BC and Florida. They made many happy memories in their camper trailers and instilled a travel bug in all their children. In their retirement years, they also traveled to Newfoundland and the east coast of Canada, Australia, and 42 of 50 US states including Hawaii, Alaska, California, Yellowstone, New Orleans, and Branson Missouri. Betty really enjoyed the southwestern states, the Grand Canyon, the Carlsbad caves of New Mexico, and a hot air balloon ride in Sedona Arizona. Most recently, she and Gary also enjoyed winter vacations in Florida with friends. Their main travel destinations however were centered on her grandchildren, the joy of her life. For a time, this included living in their winter home in Windsor, Ontario where they were close to their grandsons, and visiting Clara in Chicago and Zoe at Silver Islet where she always came with an extra suitcase filled with crafts, games and art supplies.

Rosalie will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by Gary, her husband of 57 years and their children Barbara (Larry), Daniel (Maude), and Linda (Chad). Granny will be deeply missed by her cherished grandchildren, Parker, Carson, Lachlan, Clara and Zoe. Betty will also be dearly missed by her siblings Terry (Diane), Lillian (Norm), Laila (Ken), and Heather (Tracey), along with all of her very special nieces and nephews. Betty was predeceased by her father Raymond Aho and her mother Eileen (Turk), as well as her sister Janet and brother-in-law Ken Valimaa.

Our family would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the doctors, nurses, palliative team and respiratory therapist on 2 North at St. Joseph's Care Group for their exceptional care. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. If friends desire, donations may be made to the International Childcare Ministry, O'Connor Free Methodist Church, or the ALS Society of Canada.