Obituary of Beatrice Price

PRICE, Helen Beatrice - a.k.a. Bea, formerly of Broad Cove, Nova Scotia and Prescott, Ontario, died peacefully, with her daughter and grand-daughter at her side, at Queens Manor in Liverpool on December 28. 2017. 

Daughter of James E. Jackson and Armanella (Summers) Jackson, Bea was born on April 7, 1917, the 10^th of 11 children near Winchester, Ontario. From her early years, she excelled in everything she did, from school, skating, cooking, arts and crafts, to her later professional and business life. While working as a manager on an inspection floor in a munitions factory in Sorel, Quebec, she met her future husband, a Manitoban, Charles Stafford Price. Staff’s role in the navy took them to Sydney, NS, then Dartmouth, but when they started to have a family they returned to Winchester, ON, where both daughters, Judith Ann and Phyllis Lynn were born. Bea and Staff were entrepreneurs, starting first a plumbing business and a canteen, than later operating the Isle of Rest Motel and Cottages on the banks of the St. Lawrence at Prescott. Sadly, Staff died in 1962. Bea sold the business, but soon was rising through the management ranks at 401 Inns, in Prescott, and Brockville. When one of the businesses was sold and converted to a nursing home, she was immediately hired as its administrator. In that role she often acted as a management consultant to other facilities.

Being a “daughter of the depression” she creatively embodied the motto “Use it up, wear it out, make it over, do without” in all aspects of her life, whether it was collecting Canadian antiques or vintage clothing (especially hats), braiding rugs and quilting and organic gardening. After retirement in the late 70’s, she discovered a taste for travel, visiting all of Canada, plus many countries in Europe and Asia over the next fifteen years. In her 80’s she realized she had a theatrical bent, and performed in both community and church productions until her late 90’s. She also enjoyed singing in a duo with friend Joyce Lindsay, often entertaining at the nursing home where Bea used to work. In 1996 she and daughter Phyllis purchased a property in Broad Cove, the Nova Scotia village where Phyllis and husband Eric had lived since the late ’70's. They totally renovated this house which became known as “The Beahive.” It was used for several years as a summer vacation rental property, with the plan was that should Bea at some point need to move closer to family, she would have a home already established.  In 2009, she adventurously left her beautiful home on the St. Lawrence to take up full-time residence in Broad Cove. Not one to sit still, she then worked with Phyllis to design and build a self-contained addition that was better suited for someone in advanced years.  This would be her comfortable “pad” until frailty caused her to move to Ridgewood and then Queens Manor. She stayed sharp and engaged until the very end.

She will be missed by many, but especially by her daughter, Phyllis Price and son-in-law Eric Hustvedt, Broad Cove;  son-in-law, Earl Hanson, Thunder Bay; grand-daughters, Emily d’Entremont (Mark) in Broad Cove and Debra Ferris (Warren) in Thunder Bay and grandchildren, Cooper (d’Entremont), Ella and Braylon (Ferris). Predeceased by her husband Stafford; daughter, Judith Ann Hanson; siblings Archie, Ross, Russell, Beverley, Fred, Stan, Myrtle, Hazel, Hilda, Lois. 

There will be a visitation at Sweeny’s Funeral Home (60 Phoenix Street and corner of York Street) from 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., Saturday, January 13, 2018. In lieu of flowers, donations could be made to Queens Manor, the Petite Riviere United Church Pastoral Charge, Broad Cove Community Association or St. Paul's United Church in Prescott, ON . The family would like to extend their appreciation to the staff of Queens Manor for their loving care of Bea for the past two years.  As one Queens Manor staff member described Bea, she was "one of a kind” who definitely left a strong legacy from her 100 years on earth.