Betty Martland, born October 22, 1939, died at home quietly in her bed on September 16, 2022. She suffered from metastatic breast cancer. Betty left Barrie, her husband of 60 years, peacefully smiling as usual. Betty was born in Sault Ste.Marie, Ontario, to Leonard and Velma Pickering. Her family moved to Orillia in the mid-1940s and she eventually began her primary specialist teaching career there. Over the years she taught mostly kindergarten at various schools but the bulk of her teaching before retiring was done at Rose Avenue School near Bloor and Sherbourne in Toronto. Many of the children at Rose were recent immigrants and Betty gave them their first lessons in speaking and reading English.

As well as leaving her loving husband, Betty also leaves her sister Bonnie and her family and her loving sisters and brothers-in-law plus many friends attracted over many years by her laughter, smiles and general high, non-stop sparkling spirits.
She met Barrie in Toronto in 1961 while she was attending a summer teaching course. They married the following year. When often asked how Barrie proposed she would reply “Marry me and one day you will be farting through silk”. He was never able to find a silk pair.

Betty and her husband were frequent travellers. Betty spent days riding the Trans Siberian railway, rode in the back of a truck in 1972 (while on leave from teaching) through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India before flying home from Nepal. Plus at other times she travelled in Borneo, Indonesia, New Guinea and many other Pacific areas. She and Barrie frequently travelled in Europe, South America and their final long distance trip was a journey to Canada’s Yellowknife before Covid-19 restricted them to 200 yard travels to Hemingway's, their local favourite Toronto pub.
Betty received marvellous care from the staff at Mount Sinai Hospital. She was visited at home three times a week by a care nurse and usually once a week by an oncologist or other specialist.

No funeral is scheduled. Cremation has taken place and a Celebration of Life will be held at Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre, 375 Mount Pleasant Rd., Toronto 416-485-5572 on Saturday, October 22, 2022, from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Please R.S.V.P. Barrie at bbmartland@yahoo.com if you wish to attend.

In lieu of flowers please celebrate Betty’s happy life with a donation to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto or the charity of your choice. For online condolence messages, please visit Betty’s memorial page at www.etouch.ca