Elizabeth Ann Rose Hollist

Liz,”Bits”,”Mum, 77 years old, born Oct. 2, 1945 in Vancouver B.C. passed peacefully from Multi-systems failure with her children and her brother by her side. She is survived by her children, Tanya Hollist- daughter, and Tony Hollist-son (Karin) and her only granddaughter Brittney Hollist (Richard). She is also survived by her only brother Phil Butterfield (Sue). Liz passed in The Richmond Hospital in Richmond, B.C. on Aug 18, 2023 at 12:24 pm. Liz has lived in Richmond for 6 years after spending the majority of her life in Vancouver. Then there was the 20+year stop in Terrace. Liz acquired many talents through her younger years starting with living with her first cousin Marg McRae (Tuck) for 3 years. Liz and her Mum lived with Marg and her Mum. Liz and her Mum moved to North Vancouver and continued family life. Liz was raised in Vancouver and North Vancouver and then at age of 8 Liz got a special addition to the family, her brother Phil. As she was older, Phil loved his big sister. Growing up Liz made a very close friend at the age of 4 with whom she is still super close with, Mairi Munro. Together they spent hours getting into mischief. As a teen Liz worked as a certified meat cutter and wrapper for Safeway. While working there she moved in with a friend Gayle in the West End. Liz was a reservist for a short time in the Military with Gayle, and Liz worked for the Red Cross. Liz also had an adventure starting her married life in Terrace B.C. in 1968 where she enjoyed the outdoors and building her life with her husband and children. She would play the piano in the evenings after spending the day in the fresh air either on their boat or out in the garden. Unknown to Tanya, Liz knew that in the evening when she’d play the piano, Tanya would sneak to the top of the staircase and sit and listen. Tanya did not know Liz knew she was there and played and sang Tanya’s favourite songs. This still rings true in 2023. Whilst in Terrace, Liz also gained a forever “partner in crime”, they were a.k.a. “Thelma and Louise” and “Carol and Loulinda”, Darlene Frank! They have continued that lively friendship to this day. Liz invited Darlene to move to Vancouver and so Darlene met Liz in PG at the bus depot and together they headed to Vancouver arriving Oct 25, 1995. Liz became one of the first few Braille Transcribers in BC whilst enjoying life in Terrace, working with Special Needs children and a blind student, Byron Stephens. Liz returned to school as part of the start of Plan B, at the North West Community College and earned a certificate as a Community Support Worker. After obtaining this certificate and returning to Vancouver in 1990, she went on to continue with helping special needs individuals by taking into her home, two mentally challenged people, Jane and Shirley, they all lived together for 32 years (almost to the day as Mum passed 12 hours before the anniversary date.) Liz was active within this community being the President of the Pri Care Society of Vancouver and a representative of enVision, Society for Choice and Inclusion. She held bbq’s annually at Spanish Banks for them all on the nights of the fireworks. Liz always was very involved and continued to make special events for this community. Liz, always full of smiles and laughter met the other President, Louella Vincent, a.k.a. M.O.G., (My Other Grandma to Liz’s granddaughter Brittney). Louella, President in the Surrey chapter of enVision brought the spicy side of life to Liz. Together they went on to change things….and this forever friendship started. This friendship took them to local places as well as Victoria in search of funding for special needs people and submitted a proposal to the government. Sadly the proposal was shot down but oh how they worked on it. As this entertaining friendship continued it took them farther away….. Hawaii, Mexico, Jamaica, a 21 day cruise through the Panama Canal, as well as venturing as far away as Australia and New Zealand where they visited longtime friends of Liz’s ,who travelled 7 hours in one direction with too many people for a very small car…just to see Liz. (Kinda speaks to how fabulous she was). Liz had other travels too… she ventured to Las Vegas a few times with Darlene Frank (Liz left Tanya with bail money this time lol) and Oct 2018 with Brittney to celebrate their birthday month, and celebrate they did. Brittney got Liz a scooter…. But sadly, no driving lessons. LOL Liz and Brittney ventured off to Thailand and was able to attend a surprise sunrise wedding of one of Tanya’s friends. Liz had other travels with others…. She made it to one of her “bucket list” destinations, Africa…although the wrong end of the country, Tunis, Tunisia ( top center of the country ) And true to Liz’s odyssey, Liz took off and whilst in the air their flight was detoured as there was now civil unrest in Tunisia. Liz missed the connecting transfers once landing in Tunisia and had to take a taxi for 2.5 hours to her hotel….on route she passed tanks and military autos. Arriving at her hotel there was gun fire and men with big guns. Liz not a fan of guns was more scared than ever before. With a desperate call home to Tanya and some fancy finagling between Tanya and the travel agent Liz was home 5 days after she left. Crossing off Africa on her “bucket list” she did see a camel. Tanya and Liz, Jane and Shirley travelled usually twice a year to Puerto Vallarta (for about 12 years.)This group of travelers got a little bigger over the years including Brittney, Sue and Whitney, Louella, Darlene, and some other friends. They had lots of fun on tours and adventuring off to dive sites as the rest of them usually tagged along with Tanya to her diving adventures…. Liz loved being in the boats, on the water even, if she didn’t dive, she would swim around the boat. On one of these excursions where it was only one year post Liz’s MI., Sue and Whitney (Dent) ventured with them and Tanya and Whitney got Liz on a boat and help her swim in to the “Hidden Beach” Marietas Island, Mexico, a big ticket item on Liz’s “Bucket List”… it was tough but she did it. Tanya and Whitney swam with Liz from the boat to the assistants to get into the Hidden beach. It was a long swim but powered by Tanya and Whit, Liz was not going to let this opportunity be missed. (FOMO) Once the visit was over and they all got back to the boat we now had to get Liz back into the boat in some very choppy waters. Tanya got some strong guys to assist Liz back on the boat… they laughed so hard but what a rush… Then there was Kevin and Jackie Mintz, Tanya and Jackie have been friends since kindergarten, Kev got Liz into a 4 wheeled wheel chair and never let more than two wheels touch the ground…Liz felt safe but sure didn’t look it…a trip of a lifetime!

Liz developed a condition early on in these adventures… we later learned the correct name to this diagnosis… FOMO! Fear Of Missing Out… she never missed a thing!

Liz went to a lot of Diving BBQ’s and was amazing at being “shore support”. Traveling with Tanya and Roger Fordham to Quadra Island, Liz made friends with the Capt of the boat, Earl, and the owner of the lodge, Dale. Liz and Dale went all over Quadra and are still fun friends today. Liz was welcome to tag along on all or any of Tanya’s adventures which always made the adventure just a little bit more exciting. No one is sure if she wanted to be with Tanya, was curious of what was going on or just did not want to miss out (FOMO). With these adventure came summer time backyard bbq’s and Liz loved to “Pinintrest” (her pronunciation “Pin IN terest”) recipes for such occasions. So many people loved to be with Liz and join in to whatever she was up to…usually no good, if there was to be any fun at all. A dive friend of Tanya’s met Liz at the dive shop and they shared their story of Cancer Journeys. Elsa was a great support to Liz. (We are hoping to put an 8 legged friend with Elsa’s 8 legged friend at their favourte dive site “wink wink”, Porteau Cove). Over the last 10months Liz knew that she was on borrowed time… this meant to her to live life large. She planned birthdays, last minute Christmas fondues with our new Jamaican family, vacation ideas for the future and cruises with a good friend from Terrace/Grand Prairie, Jenny Virtue a.k.a. “Momma V”, they were both in different hospitals and planning vacays’ for them and Tanya and Carla ( Jenny’s daughter and Tanya’s BFF), to take them on. Liz likes to “help” in whatever way she could. Things that Liz would participate in was “building “things…. Tanya and Ashley had purchased a picnic table, greenhouse, bbq, canvas shed, fireplace t.v. stand and chairs for Jane and Shirley as well as a very heavy sofa table that also needed assembly. Liz would “supervise” hahaha, she may have had the assembly instructions but she also had the wine… all these items got assembled despite Liz having the assembly instruction and there were TONNES of laughs. Ashley and Tanya always giggled when Liz would read the instructions, they thought it was an entirely different language. Tanya, Ashely, Liz and Sharon thought that they would have a garage sale where before selling 20 plus year old lawn chairs, Ashley should test them out…. After going through three of them and Liz and others laughing until they peed it was considered a good thought to just throw them away. One of the summertime activities that Liz enjoyed and shared with others was Tanya and Liz’s purchase of racehorses at Hasting Racecourse. She loved all the horses and the stats behind the betting. Liz has done well there. Liz’s sense of humour was limitless. Tanya received 3 packages after Liz passed, of dress options to wear…for the Celebration of Life…the funny part is that she used Tanya’s credit card. Liz had many sides to her…. She had a serious side and LOVED chatting with Matthew about the world as her world over the last few years has been medical appointments and Covid restrictions. Liz loved her “safe 6” and was happy when they all took the time to stop and visit her… and check her pulse, Thanks Roger. They all made it to the hospital and that put the best smile on Mums face.

Writing this I am blessed to have recounted so much and so many of my Mums “dash” through life. As Mum took the next step in her journey she was surround by those that loved her, Tanya, Tony and Phil.