Obituary of Betty Gail Wilcox
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Betty at the age of 80 at Renfrew Victoria Hospital on Wednesday November 13, 2024. Dear daughter of the late George and Ida Belaire. Dear wife of Garwood Wilcox. Loving mother to Annette (Rick Dagenais), Joe and Sonia (Nathan Russell) and grandmother to Jennifer (Don Bowen) and Selina Huot. Step mom to Shelley, John and the late Darlene and nanny to their children. Dear sister of Mellven Belaire and John Belaire. Predeceased by her siblings Ira, Joan, Lois, Barbara, Doyle, George, Brent, Roxy, Ruth, and Jim.
Betty was one who put everyone else first before herself. Always made sure there was "enough" of everything that everyone needed. She loved the outdoors. Loved to hunt and fish and work in her "garden". She dedicated her own life for 37 years to taking care of her son Joe who was hit by a car in 1982 and left blind and in a wheelchair. If you were lucky enough to walk into the house on baking day, with the island full of pies or sweets... you knew she would make sure you tried a bit of everything before you left.
When her guitar was in her hands she seemed to just know how to please everyone. She would look around and play an old oldie, a new hit country or pop song, Spanish, French German, she just knew them all. She would either bring us to tears, or have us singing along, and at times, howling at the moon.
She even wrote a song for her “Hardly Ever See Em” Hunting Gang! Many places in the bush are named after Betty and this will go on…Bettys Rock (and there’s more than one) Nanny’s Tree Stand, Bettys chair. The hunting stories will never stop. At the Whiskey Jack Hunt Camp she was known as Bone Breaker Betty. It’s not hard to believe she loved to fish for Walleye but did you know, she would never eat fish or the deer or moose she harvested.
She will be greatly missed. Private arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Goulet Funeral Home, Renfrew. Donations in her memory may be made to Renfrew Victoria Hospital Foundation
