Betty Anstey was an “icon” in Oliver who seemed to make everything better with her patented hugs.
“I think what I’ll miss the most is her hugs; she would hug the tar out of me,” recalled longtime friend Jo Tanner.
Betty, 73, died after being struck by a motor vehicle while attempting to cross Main Street on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Tanner, who shared the same birth date as Betty, was the one who identified her body to police.
The woman’s death spurred a lot of emotions in the community.
One Main Street businessman said too many motorists exceed the speed limit early in the morning, noting that some people travel at 80 km/h through town.
Many people have fond memories of Betty and what impact she had on the community.
One legion member said she was an “icon” in town and will be missed.
Betty, who used a walker to get around, was known for walking all over town on a daily basis, collecting bottles and waving to people through their front windows on Main Street.
Wayne Jones from the Oliver Bakery said Betty came in every morning for a coffee and was so helpful to everyone.
“She couldn’t do enough for people.”
Jones said Betty would pick up the bakery’s newspaper to ensure they got it.
A reverend from Penticton, known as “Pastor Peter,” was a good friend of Betty’s. (He does outreach work up and down the Okanagan Valley, including Oliver.)
“She always had a smile, she was always very caring . . . I gave her a hug all the time.”
Pastor Peter said people were truly blessed by having Betty around.
“Everyone in the community knew her even though they didn’t know her name.”
Although Betty knew a lot of people, she was alone, after losing her latest partner some time ago.
“Betty was really a sweetheart,” the reverend said, adding that people like her give Oliver a sense of community.
“Community is walking down the street and honking your horn and people wave . . . it’s Andy Griffith . . . that’s what Betty was.”
The pastor believes that she shrunk the community and brought everyone closer together. She loved the Lord and glowed when she talked.
“For me, she is just dancing (right now).”
Tanner had known Betty for the past 32 years. They first met in Oliver in the early 1980s.
“Betty was so independent,” recalled Tanner, who is writing Betty’s eulogy at her memorial this month.
Tanner, known as the “muffin lady” at the Oliver Food Bank, has been doing outreach work for years. She said Betty was a regular client at the food bank.
Tanner noted that Betty loved collecting bottles and feeding feral cats in Oliver. She also liked to have a glass of beer when she collected enough money.
Her greatest asset was her love, Tanner said.
“She lived the way that I tried to live . . . by the heart. Betty was a lady who inspired me.”
In fact, Betty was the reason that Tanner expanded her outreach work.
Betty had a daughter and a sister, but she never spoke about her family, Tanner said. She had two separate husbands but they passed away, she noted.
Betty had somewhat of a mischievous side to her, Tanner pointed out. When her caregiver indicated to Betty that it was her bath time, she would hide.
“She touched a lot of hearts,” Tanner said.
A tribute was held at Murphy’s Pub last weekend, and her funeral is slated for December 11.
