Elizabeth PASCHEN Obituary
ELIZABETH EMILY PASCHEN (née Jennings) Passed away at the age of 92 years old, surrounded by family, prayer, and song, on March 14, 2019. Betty is survived by beloved family members including husband, Gerhard (Jerry); children, Renee (and husband Rainer), Jillian (and husband Marlin) and Sydney; brother, Richard (and wife Ellen); and granddaughters, Gina, Andrea and Tamara. Betty was born on February 26, 1927, the fourth of six children to recent British immigrants Rosa Annie (née Bridges) and Joseph Albert Jennings at their family farm near Condor, Alberta. There, she was lovingly raised with siblings Joyce, Jack, Yvonne, Frank, and Richard. Betty and Jerry met in 1959 as enthusiastic members of the Canadian Youth Hostelling Association, and were married on December 17, 1960, at St. Luke's Anglican Church in Red Deer. From the time of their marriage, the house that Betty designed and built in 1954 served as the vibrant centre of their family's life. Betty earned a Diploma of Education (1952), Bachelor of Education (1955), Diploma of Early Childhood Education (1982), and Master of Education (1985) from the University of Alberta, and taught for the Edmonton Public and Catholic School boards for three decades. A dedicated writer and poet, she published a book, Moosehide Jackets: Mackenzie's Journey Re-traced, in 1989. Betty was a lifelong environmentalist, serving as the first leader of the Alberta Green Party from 1990 to 1995, and running as a candidate in the 1993 provincial election. A woman of grace, humor, and intelligence, Betty was a radiantly loving and remarkably accomplished person. Her deep reverence for all of creation was the foundation of her care work, her teaching, and her activism. In life and beyond, Betty endures as a generous spirit and an inspiration to everyone who knew her. A memorial service was held on March 19 at St. George's Anglican Church (where Betty was a congregant since 1953), and a celebration of life is scheduled for June 15, 2019 at 1 p.m., also at St. George's (11733 - 87 Avenue NW, Edmonton).
Published by The Globe and Mail from Jun. 8 to Jun. 12, 2019.
