REID, Elva
May 11, 1930 - March 25, 2015
Our astonishing mother Elva Reid joined our loving father Jack Reid in heaven on Wednesday, March 25, 2015. She was 84. She was born in Toronto, ON, on May 11, 1930, to Ralph Stanley Plant and Ruth Beatrice Hetherington. She grew up in Vancouver, BC, graduating from McGee High School and the University of British Columbia. A lifelong educator, Elva returned to UBC graduate school in 1964 and earned her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Jack and Elva moved to Pasadena, CA, in 1967 where they lived for eighteen years. While simultaneously raising her 3 kids and leading the Hastings Ranch Nursery School as Director, Elva completed her classwork and turned in her PhD dissertation to her advisors at the Claremont Graduate University. Her PhD research proved that parents who get involved with their kid’s education early on stay involved and end up becoming better parents. In 1985 Elva and Jack returned to BC, and settled at Crescent Beach. Elva was a friend, a mother, an aunt, a grandmother, a sister, a partner, a mentor, a confidant, a gardener. She had a razor sharp intellect, was inquisitive, funny, adventurous and loved everyone she met. She led fundraising and was central in creating the Tong Louie Surrey YMCA, ran the Tiny-Y Pre School, taught new ECE teachers at Douglas College and at UBC, was active in her PEO group, the White Rock Canadian Federation of University Women, the Surrey Historical Society, Kwantlen College Third Age Learning, was a greeter at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, and a huge supporter of the Crescent Beach Swimming Club. She was on the board at Alexandra Community House, and was a long time gardener at the Dunsmuir Garden. She is survived by her three children and eight grandchildren; Son Mike (Clare), Matt, Jackie, Mary Kate, Tom; Son Al (Dolly), Madison, Bailey, Simon; Daughter Katie (Mark), Aaron; as well as her brother Albert Plant of Toronto and Sandra Gilmor of Wenham, MA. She is predeceased by her brothers Paul and Keith Plant and her sister Barbara Plant. Services will be at 3:00 PM on Saturday, April 4th at Crescent United Church, 2756 127th Street, Surrey (Crescent Heights). In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to the YMCA or the Crescent Beach Swimming Club or the Alexander Neighborhood House in her honour.