Coleman a ‘grandmother’ to many

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/12/2020 (2025 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Betty Coleman relocated from Brandon to Victoria, B.C., seven years ago, but her son, Bob, said, “She only left on the 24th of November.”

This is the date of her medically assisted death following an inoperable injury she suffered during a fall that limited her mobility.

“She was definitely a homer — she supported Brandon, was a Brandonite through and through, and I think she was really proud of that,” Bob said last week.

Of the many roles she filled over the years, her involvement in the military is what she will likely be the most remembered for in the community.

She served as an honorary lieutenant colonel and honorary colonel for the 26th Field Regiment and was a key organizer behind the Brandon Military Ball for more than 50 years.

She remained strongly involved in the ball throughout her years in Brandon, Bob said, adding that this involved hand-addressing every single one of the event’s invitation letters.

“That part of her was like, ‘I want people to realize they are special because they are getting this invitation, and it’s a personal invitation,’” he said, adding that this thoughtfulness was typical of his mother.

Through her work with the 26th Field Regiment, friend and current honorary colonel Lori Dangerfield said Coleman did “phenomenally well” in serving as an ambassador to the public and a supporter of troops.

“She was just as comfortable talking to the troops as she was to calling up a general and having them over for dinner in her home and making them feel warm and welcome,” she said.

“She was a dynamo — you couldn’t help but meet her and smile. She had a warm laugh that would bring you into her sphere and make you laugh.”

Coleman was born on April 15, 1925, in Brandon to parents Gilbert and Gladys Wankling.

In 1949, she married the love of her life, Jack, with whom she would have two children, Bob and Susan. Bob currently lives in Kentucky, while Susan, whose married name is Romphf, lives in Victoria. At the time of her death, Coleman had seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Jack was a veteran of the Second World War and was instrumental in founding the 26th Field Regiment — an organization Coleman would take a lifelong interest in.

During a 2013 interview with the Sun predating her departure for Victoria, Coleman joked that she embraced the military life because “it’s easier to join them than fight them” — a comment she punctuated with a laugh.

“A lot of our social life revolved around the military, and a lot of our friends. Between the military and Kinsmen, and they sort of overlapped, too — a lot of military were also Kinsmen — that was a big part of our lives.”

Although the initial spark to become involved with the 26th Field Regiment might have been ignited by her husband, she made it her own and continued working with the organization following his death in 1987.

“She was a strong advocate for our regiment and the artillery in general,” retired captain Geoff Popovits said. “She was an advocate for the regiment — she raised our profile.”

Although the honorary positions she held are in large part up to the recipient to define, Popovits said that she “set the standard.”

“The people who were there when she was there remember her, and remember her with pride and respect.”

She also took her role as official sponsor of the HMCS Brandon seriously, having christened the ship and headed an effort to outfit the ship with the amenities needed to make it more comfortable for sailors.

A year ago, Dangerfield said she met briefly with a commander at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, where the HMCS Brandon is ported. The commander was “effusive” in his praise of Coleman.

“She was at many events at the base, and so many of the commanders and soldiers thought so highly of her,” she said, adding that this sentiment is echoed by people of all ranks throughout the Canadian Forces.

“She made them feel warm and welcome, Dangerfield said. “She was like a grandmotherly figure to them — not only as a grandmother but a true friend. She truly cared about people and their success in life, and she truly made a difference in young soldiers’ lives.”

Coleman was also an active member of St. Matthew’s Cathedral, a member of the Girl Guides movement, a director of the Army Cadet League of Canada and leader of the Brandon 4H Horse Club.

Through all these efforts, Bob said her mother gave it her all — a lesson he said she passed on to her two children.

“If there’s a need for leadership, we step up and do it regardless of what it is,” he said. “You don’t need to be the president of everything, but you have to be a committed member of every organization you’re part of.”

In her 2013 interview with the Sun, Coleman said she was going to miss Brandon, but that she looked forward to being closer to her daughter, living in a warmer climate and spending time on the HMCS Brandon.

Dangerfield said that when visiting Coleman in Victoria last year, Coleman was still abreast of all the latest goings on in Brandon and asked about various things in the community.

“Her involvement never faltered; it was as strong as ever,” Dangerfield said.

During her final video call with people she’d spent time with during her 95 years, Coleman surrounded herself with the things she loved, including memorabilia from her time with the navy and the 26th Field Regiment.

To the very end, Bob said that his mother remained proud to be from Brandon, and during her last conversation with him was quick to point out that she was a “Prairie girl and looking to the sunshine.”

Coleman’s final send-off found her surrounded by family at her Victoria home and serenaded by granddaughter Joslin Dennis, a classically trained opera singer.

Known for doing things her own way, Bob said that she “didn’t want to be beholden to anybody.”

Although she was talking about relocating to Victoria at the time, Coleman said in her 2013 interview with the Sun that shifting from a house to a condo was a proactive means of taking control over her own life.

“I’ve always felt that whatever I do, I want it to be my decision — that I’m not going to kind of be hauled kicking and screaming out the door and having somebody else say, ‘This is what we’re doing,’” she said at the time. “This way makes it easier on everybody.”

Although this year’s Brandon Military Ball was cancelled due to COVID-related health restrictions, Dangerfield said that planning for an event in November 2021, is already well underway.

There’s little doubt that memories of Coleman will be heavy in people’s hearts come November.

“She was involved in that for more than 50 years, and it really connects the community to the regiment,” Dangerfield said.

“On one of her last calls, it was tremendously important to her that the military ball continued to be a vibrant event in the community and continued to serve that connection.”

Coleman will be interred next to Jack, with a burial ceremony taking place at St. Matthew’s Cathedral when COVID-related health measures allow for it.

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB