Bette



Bette Ann



My mother-in-law left this earth on her 70th birthday which was September 27, 2010. She had bravely battled cancer for many years and had always gone into remission. Sadly, there was no remission this time.

My husband flew out the very next day to Australia, as did his sister from Arizona, and arrived there pretty much at the same time. Together with my father-in-law, they planned a private service just for close family and friends followed by one for the general public. She taught at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music for many years and, more recently, only from home.

By all accounts, the service went well, conducted by my husband who was also the first speaker. Everyone marvelled at how well he did. Little did they know that he had the experience from being a Bishop in the LDS Church. He spoke of the miracle of the resurrection and how families can be together in the eternities. At the conclusion of his talk, he sang "Familes Can Be Together Forever" to nary a dry eye in the room (or so I was told). He was accompanied at the piano by an old classmate. I wish we could have been there, but our finances would not allow for all of us to fly down there. So, why particularly that song? We had mailed her the LDS Children's Songbook for her birthday a few years ago. She said it was her favorite because it had sort of a "jazzy feel to it." Being the professionally-trained musician that she was, she would have known and recognized it. All of her best friends spoke.  There were musical numbers performed by some of the premier musicians in Sydney as well as her students.

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to meet her back in December 2008. She was somewhat frail then, but mobile, still recovering from major surgery performed in August of that year, but she looked very happy to meet her youngest grandson and me. I had not met her before then because she had been unable to fly here to New York for our wedding. She was in the middle of cancer therapy at that time. Shortly after, she went into remission.


Liam and Grandma Bette



While we were in Sydney, she played the piano for Liam all the time, mostly songs from Sesame Street, but also some classical pieces that Liam recognized from his Juno Baby videos and her favorite Christmas carols. She was wonderful at teaching children. She even had Liam hitting a couple of notes right on queue and he was just a month shy of two years old! Then again, Liam most likely has music in his blood already, or so we hope. Oh, how I wish she could have taught Liam to play the piano! Hopefully, she will be his muse when he does start taking lessons.

Though she was beautiful, she wasn't very fond of having her picture taken. These are just a few photos that my husband was able to take of her while we were there.

 

On our way to the Paddington Market in Sydney



One of many students

 
Bette, we love and miss you. God be with you 'till we meet again.