Obituary of Anne "Betty" Mary Mulhall

Passed away peacefully at Lisaard House, Cambridge on Saturday, January 19, 2019, at the age of 82.

Beloved wife of the late Richard (Dick) Mulhall.  Loving mother of Denis (Suzanne) Mulhall, the late Kevin Mulhall and Elaine (Stephen) Sweeney.  Will be fondly remembered by her cherished grandson John “Jack” Sweeney.  Dear sister of Tom Walsh, the late Mick Walsh, Maureen (the late Eddie) Halpin and Denis (Jackie) Walsh.

Anne (Betty) emigrated to Canada in 1958 and was followed by most of her siblings. She kept an open door for cousins and friends who needed a place to escape, knowing that everything would be fine when they were with Aunty Betty, who for this became known as “Mother Goose”.

In Ireland, Anne excelled at school and was the top Irish language speaker in her class until she had to leave school at fourteen to work and help out the family. She met the love of her life Richard (Dick) Mulhall as a teenager while working in a textile factory. Their journey together brought them to London, Ontario, where Denis, Kevin and Elaine were born. Their adventure took them to Quebec, Connecticut, Tennessee and finally to Kitchener-Waterloo.

She tragically lost her husband in 1977 in a car accident leaving her alone to care for her three teenage children. They all went on to make her proud, never forgetting the love and dedication to making their dreams come true.

Her fierce determination to make the best life possible for her son Kevin was the main focus of her life. When it came to advocating for Kevin, she was a force to be reckoned with. Anne’s involvement in numerous organizations earned her The United Way Award for Outstanding Volunteer for her tireless service to the community.

She will be missed by her dear companion Ken Jessop, one of the kindest persons in the world. They had some wonderful times together in their travels each year to Portugal and many cruises. As well, she will be fondly remembered by her many dear friends: the Tim’s crowd, the card players, the people from the 404 Wing, and her PCL family.

Friends are invited to share their memories of Anne “Betty” with her family during visitation at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo on Wednesday January 23, 2019 from 1 - 3 p.m. with the funeral service to follow in the funeral home chapel at 3 p.m.  A reception will immediately follow in the Fireside Reception Room of the funeral home. A private family interment will be held at a later date.

Condolences for the family and donations to K-W Community Foundation – Robert Denomme Fund may be arranged through the funeral home at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.

Special thanks to all the friends and family who have supported Mother Goose throughout the years. The family greatly appreciates the support of Caitlin Dunlop, Dr. MacEachern, Susan and the nurses from Grand River Cancer Centre who cared for her with not one but two cancers for five years. Thanks also to the nurses, staff and volunteers at Lisaard House.