Murphy, Margaret Elizabeth (Beth)

March 19, 1931 – August 2, 2023

With heavy hearts we say goodbye to a loving wife, sister, mom, grandma, great grandma, aunt, cousin and friend.

Beth was born in Rosetown, Saskatchewan to Marguerite and Frank Livingstone and passed away peacefully with her daughters by her side at St. Michael’s Hospice.

Predeceased by her beloved husband Don of over 60 years, brothers Neil (Blanche), Cecil (Gerda) and many other family members and friends.

Survived by daughters Diane (Terri), Laurie (Jamie), Kathy, grandchildren Kyle (Mackenzie), Brody, Aimee (Justin), Trevor (Taylor) great grandson Linden, cousin John (Norma), and many nieces, nephews and dear friends.

Beth grew up on a farm in Gunnworth, Saskatchewan.  She attended a one room schoolhouse where she walked or travelled by horse and buggy.  In Grade 9, she went into Rosetown to attend High school at St. Joseph’s Convent where she made lots of friends and honed her piano skills, completing her Grade 10 Royal Conservatory of Music.  She graduated in 1949 and received a Citizenship award.  

Beth was interested in becoming a Psychiatric Nurse and because her mom and stepfather lived in Seattle she applied to Essondale in Coquitlam to take her training.  It was there that she met Don who caught her eye with his black hair, good looks and nice smile.  They were married on June 14th, 1955, in Burnaby.  Mom and Dad were loving parents to three daughters: Diane, Laurie and Kathy.  They enjoyed living in neighbourhoods in Burnaby where there were lots of family and friends nearby.  Summers were spent camping in various spots throughout B.C. as well as visits to Seattle to see grandparents.

Beth was not only a wife and mom, she also worked as a Psychiatric Nurse for 27 years at Woodlands in New Westminster. She found her work fulfilling and shared lasting friendships with colleagues.

In retirement, Mom and Dad had a great time going to the horse races, travelling south, joining the whole family at Kalamalka Lake each summer and tending to their lovely yard.   Beth enjoyed spending time with the “Organizers” organ group and also taught organ lessons.  She played Rummoli regularly with a group of girlfriends, together they shared lots of laughter and always had a good time.She loved talking on the phone with everyone and always looked forward to going out for lunch with her friends.

Beth lived a full and happy life.  Her positive attitude and boundless energy will never be forgotten.Devoted to her family and friends, she was generous, thoughtful and had a wonderful sense of humour. An excellent pianist/organist who loved listening to all kinds of music.She enjoyed hosting family celebrations, baking, making her legendary lemon tarts and other delicious treats.She was incredibly organized, and everything had its place.Beth was always game to go on trips and remained an enthusiastic Canucks fan!She adored spending time with her grandkids and supporting them in their endeavours. In 2022, Beth was thrilled to become a great grandma when Linden was born, and was excited to hear that another great grandchild will be born in 2024. 

Mom was loved by many and will be greatly missed.

The family would like to thank Dr. Hanam for his kind and dedicated care of Mom.  We also extend our gratitude to the staff, nurses, and doctors at Mt. St. Joseph’s Hospital and St. Michael’s Hospice for their compassionate care during Mom’s final journey.

We will celebrate her life on Monday October 2nd at 1:00pm at the Scandinavian Community Centre, 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby, BC.If you would like to make a donation, please consider the Terry Fox Foundation www.terryfox.org or St. Michael’s Hospice www.stmichaels.bc.ca.