Obituary of Elizabeth Ann Marie Deal
Elizabeth (Betty) Ann Marie Deal (nee Hurley) passed away on Monday, August 11, 2025. Born August 15, 1942, in Fredericton, NB, she was the daughter of Charles and Ann Hurley (deceased), with brothers Bishop Walter Hurley and Gerald (deceased) and sisters Eileen, Charlene (deceased) and Annette.
Betty moved with her family to Detroit, MI at age 11 and attended Catholic school until she graduated in 1958. She left home to join the Royal Canadian Air Force and served in Gimli, MB, for three years.
She met her future husband, Robert, known to all as Pat, and they were married in Horseshoe Bay, BC, on August 31, 1964.
Through her life, she lived and worked in Windsor, Burlington and Stoney Creek, ON, where they started their family. In 1976, they moved to Upper Granville, NS, where they started their own business, Pat’s Small Engine, which they operated together for 30 years.
Throughout her life, Betty worked in a number of different jobs, including at a textile mill and driving taxi and after her husband moved away, she moved to Michigan to help her with her business,where they cared for special needs adults.
Her life was centered around her children and, in particular, her grandchildren, Robert, Andrew, Denise, Judie, Chelsea, Kaylah and Olicia. Her most special joy was spending time with her family.
Betty was known as a selfless and generous person who possessed a sharp mind and a wonderful sense of humour. She also loved to cook and never saw anyone go hungry.
Late in her life, she struggled with the effects of dementia. The family wishes to express their special and sincere gratitude to her several caregivers, in particular, Ginette, Nicole and Susanna, who allow her to remain at home making the most of the last years of her life.
Betty was predeceased by her husband, Robert (Pat) Deal and eldest daughter Deborah and is survived by daughters Cathy (Jeff) and Bev (Steve) and her son Patrick, with whom she resided the last four years of her life. We will miss her kind and generous spirit and her sense of humour.
The family will be holding a private service at a later date.
In remembrance of her kindness and generosity, the family asks that you reach out to someone in your life who might be struggling for whatever reason and lend a helping hand.
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others.” – Pericles.
