Peacefully at home after a short illness, Elizabeth Joyce Dirks died after celebrating her 89th birthday days before. Predeceased by her beloved husband Dr. Henry Dirks, her parents William and Mary Lewicki, Elizabeth is survived by her daughters Mary Husband (Jeff) and Janet Dirks (Howard Silver), grandchildren Samantha Vanderboom (Jake), Jillian and David. Elizabeth (Betty) was born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End, where her first language was Ukrainian.
A talented student, Elizabeth won the Governor-General’s Medal at Isaac Newton High School, then went on to study French at the University of Manitoba. She was awarded a bursary to study at the Sorbonne and lived in Paris from 1953-54. She was in the audience of the first production of Waiting for Godot and later in London, saw a rising young star—Richard Burton on stage in Coriolanus. Such experiences cemented her love for the arts.
When she returned to Canada, Elizabeth continued her studies and became a French teacher. In 1957, she married Henry, the love of her life. Together they shared 48 years of happiness, enjoying time spent with family, travel, books, art, opera, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and summers at Victoria Beach. Elizabeth was an active member of her church both in Winnipeg and Victoria, where she moved after Henry’s death and established a new life for herself.
A whiz at crosswords and Jeopardy and a voracious reader, she passed on the love of books to her daughters and grandchildren. She was a champion of public libraries all her life, especially her beloved Cornish Library, and was a teacher until the end, teaching English as a second language to new Canadians for several years. A true Christian in her faith and in her deeds, Elizabeth never judged others but was always welcoming and accepting. She will be remembered for her love, kindness, generosity and interest in others.
Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless thee and keep thee:
The Lord make his face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
In lieu of flowers, friends are encouraged to donate to the Mennonite Central Committee, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, The Victoria Symphony Orchestra or The Mustard Seed.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Elizabeth Joyce Dirks 2020..
mccall gardens funeral and cremation service
Décès pour la Ville: Victoria, Province: Colombie britanique