December 21, 1934 – February 22, 2018

Berte died peacefully at the age of 83 in the comfort of the Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Hospice in Kamloops, BC, surrounded by the loving embrace of her children and grandchildren.

Berte was born in Outlook, Saskatchewan, the first child of George and Lily Moi; George was originally from Stavanger, Norway, while Lily was a Norwegian-American from Minnesota. Berte’s sisters, Marie and Sylvia, soon followed and after several years in Camrose, Alberta, the family settled in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

Berte graduated from Delta High School and entered the UBC Faculty of Nursing. It was at university that she met a dashing young medical student named John Willoughby and they married in 1956. She graduated with a nursing degree in 1957 and the newlyweds soon found themselves in London, England where John served his medical internship. Their first children were born in three different cities: first Michael in London, Siri in Vancouver and Toni in Boston, as John pursued his training in paediatrics. The family relocated to Kamloops where John established his practice. Lynn and David completed the five-children family and Berte was kept busy with home life.

The family lived an active, outdoorsy life that the Kamloops area offered with downhill and backcountry skiing in the winter and cottage life at nearby Shuswap Lake in the summer. These activities were due in no small part to the organizational skills of Berte, who was herself an avid outdoors woman and a graceful skier. But she also enjoyed the quieter joys of sewing and gardening and her flower gardens at the Shuswap and in Kamloops were a delight to behold. She was a quiet role model for many in the community.

Berte was predeceased by daughter Toni in 1976. She later lost her husband John in 1987 and more recently, her sister Marie (Lawrence). But fortunately, she had a gift for friendship and an easy laugh and the last three decades of her life were full not only with her growing family of grandchildren but also with a number of loyal friends. With family and friends she enjoyed numerous trips to different locations in the world.

Berte is survived by her sister, Sylvia (Paul), her children Michael (Lorraine), Siri (Brian), Lynn (Sean) and David (Annelle). She will be remembered with deep affection by her grandchildren, Lauren, Andrew, Carolyn, John, James, Kathleen, Justin, Nolan, Keenan, Toni and Liv.

The family would like to thank faithful friends for their love and support, Dr. Tracey Smillie and Dr. Jill Calder for their kind and thoughtful care, and the hospice staff for their end-of-life guidance. A celebration of life will be held on May 12, 2018 at Kamloops United Church, 421 St Paul Street at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Kamloops Hospice Association or to ALS Society of Canada. Condolences may be sent to the family at DrakeCremation.com

• Date : 2018-02-22
• Location : Kamloops, B.C.