Beecroft/Becraft Ancestors

Gene Dennis Beecroft and Mary Louise Bill

---

---

Husband Gene Dennis Beecroft [4993] (details suppressed for this person)

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

         Father: Ivan Ernest Beecroft [4975] (1920-1980)
         Mother: Helen Maude Wright [4976] (1922-2010)

---

       Marriage: 

---

---

Wife Mary Louise Bill [4994]

---

           Born: 20 Dec 1946
     Christened: 
           Died: 21 May 2023
         Buried: 26 May 2023 - St. Thomas Cemetery

Events

• Her obituary was published in the Hamilton Spectator on 24 May 2023. MARY BEECROFT OBITUARY
December 20, 1946 - May 21, 2023. It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the loss of Mary Louise, who passed away peacefully surrounded by her family. Born to Nelena and Frank Bill in St. Thomas, Ontario. Devoted wife of 55 years to husband Dennis, mother to Douglas and Michael and his wife Courtney, sister to David & Jim.
A gifted student, Mary Louise obtained both an Associate of Music and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western University. After moving to Hamilton, she taught English at Sir Allan McNab. When her boys reached adolescence, Mary Louise pursued a second career in nursing and worked at McMaster University as a clinical research co-ordinator in the areas of urology, and obstetrics/gynecology.
Travelling to Israel with the United Church on a religious pilgrimage in the 1980s, she was captivated with the culture and upon her return to Canada pursued an interest to learn Hebrew. This introduced her to the Jewish community of Beth Jacob Synagogue in Hamilton, where she was a very active and devoted practitioner of the Jewish faith.
Mary Louise was a voracious reader with a keen interest in the world around her. A super user of the Ancaster Library, a crossword puzzle enthusiast, a shrewd player of Scrabble, and a daily consumer of 3 newspapers- often having them all read cover to cover before 8am. During the pandemic, Mary Louise rekindled her love for music by taking piano lessons again. She was a loyal supporter and enthusiastic participant of performances at the Hamilton Philharmonic, Player's Guild, Theatre Aquarius and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

Mary Louise was a very active volunteer, and deeply concerned for the wellbeing of others. She helped to sponsor two refugee families in coming to Canada, arranged furniture donations for those in need, knitted dozens of scarves for Out of the Cold, as well as supporting many other charitable initiatives through the Beth Jacob community.
Mary Louise loved to experiment with new recipes and generously donated the fruits of her labour to the delight of her sons and friends. She always maintained 2 well-stocked fridges & freezers and was prepared and capable of feeding an army on short notice.
Mary Louise maintained lifelong friendships and had a strong sense of loyalty. She was a very social and outgoing person, maintaining a busy calendar of meeting friends for lunch, book groups, volunteer work and religious activities in the Jewish community. She was a master in correspondence, handwriting cards to commemorate every occasion and birthday, and maintained a global network of friends in England, Italy, the US and across Canada.
Mary Louise often spoke of how happy she was when her family was together. She touched the lives of so many in the community and will be deeply missed by family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Beth Jacob Synagogue, Out of the Cold program, or the Juravinski Hospital ICU - online at https://www.hamiltonhealth.ca/memorialgiving would be appreciated.
The family invite friends to the DODSWORTH & BROWN Funeral Home ANCASTER CHAPEL 378 Wilson St. E., Ancaster, Ontario on Thursday, May 25 from 6-8pm and Friday, May 26, 2023 from 2-4 & 6-8 pm, with a Private Family Interment to be held at the St. Thomas Cemetery. Online condolences available at www.dbancaster.ca.

---

Children

---

1 M Douglas Beecroft [4995] (details suppressed for this person)

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

---

2 M Michael Beecroft [4996] (details suppressed for this person)

---

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Courtney [16094] (living)

---