It is with broken hearts that we announce the sudden passing of Betsy Horn on June 19, 2021. Betsy was the founder of Old Europe Duvet Co. in 1982 and ran the business until 2009. She is already deeply missed, but is surely resting peacefully.
Please see the posted notice:
In Loving Memory of Elisabeth (Betsy) Horn (nee Roy)
In loving memory of Betsy Horn who passed away unexpectedly on June 19, 2021 of complications from recent health issues. Betsy was born on October 8, 1939, the only child to Dr. Theodore (Ted) Roy and Edna Church “Churchie”. She grew up in the High Park area of Toronto (on Wendigo Way) and married her high school sweetheart Dr. Robert (Bob) Horn in 1962. They had a wonderful marriage and many happy years and Betsy could not have given Bob better care during his illness before his death in 2011. Betsy graduated from a degree in Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy at University of Toronto in 1961. Greatly missed and lovingly remembered by her children and their spouses, Fraser (Samantha), Kerry (Dave) and Todd (Nicole), and by her seven grandchildren (in order of birth), Cameron, Katelyn, Kelsey, Alyssa, Jocelyn, Thomas and Abby. She will also be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by her companion and husband of the last 6 years, Dr. Ralph Manktelow, and his family. She had a deep love of animals and had many dogs, and always cats, over the years, all of which were lucky to be in her care.
In addition to being a remarkable mother and grandmother, she had many individual interests in her life and she was a star in all of them. She was instrumental in growing the Milton Springers Gymnastics Club, co-ran a business making gymnastics leotards while Kerry was a gymnast, and then created and ran Old Europe Duvet Company for many years thereafter (inspired by the beautiful European duvets she and Bob had slept under on a trip to Europe), which business is now operated by her daughter-in-law Nicole. She was a keen and avid gardener, bird watcher and reader. Betsy learned to play the harp. More recently, she took up wood carving and carved totem poles, beautiful wooden bowls, animals and various walking sticks. Betsy volunteered at Bethel House, a hospice close to where she lived. Betsy loved to travel – in the last 10 years her travels took her on many trips including sailing in the British Virgin Islands, in Croatia, and in the North Channel, to Kerry and Dave’s wedding in Italy, to celebrate her 80th birthday in Bermuda, cross country skiing in BC, kayaking in the Pacific Ocean by the Great Bear Rain Forest, trail hiking from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, and touring in Portugal. Many of her family members were lucky enough to accompany her on some of these trips.
She was always up to something new, learning new things, and finding ways to interact with her children and grandchildren and make life a little more beautiful. She was a force and loved her family deeply and fiercely. She was always the supportive and proud grandparent of her many talented grandchildren. She lived for 43 years in a beautiful house on the escarpment in Milton, was very involved in the community and had many lifelong friends made there. She also loved spending time at her little piece of heaven on Mary Lake, where we all spent many many hours, days and weeks of cherished time with her, and more recently also at Ralph’s beautiful farm in Mono, Ontario. She loved to eat cake for breakfast. The day after Thanksgiving, you could always find her with a piece of pumpkin pie with her coffee. She was vibrant and full of life and very active until some very recent health issues slowed her down.
We will miss her deeply and will try to remember and mirror the many lessons of life she taught us by example. We just wish we could have one more coffee on the dock in the sunshine with her…….we would have liked a little more time for that.
If desired and in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory could be made to the Betsy Horn Bluebird Education Fund at the Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society. https://oebs.ca/ Send to: Ontario Eastern Bluebird Society, c/o Tom Kott, 9370 North Chippewa Road RR #3, Caistor Centre, ON, L0R 1E0 (please specify that Kerry Holliday may be notified of your identity) or donate to another charity of your choice.