Elizabeth Jane “Betty Jane / BJ” Mills (née Bolduc)

Elizabeth Jane “Betty Jane / BJ” Mills (née Bolduc) was born on 14 July 1942 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and passed away peacefully on 1 June 2026. To those who knew her, she was Betty Jane or BJ, names that reflected her warmth, humour, and the easy way she made people feel welcome.

Betty Jane is survived by her Brothers Richard Bolduc (Pati) and Robert Bolduc (Carole), her former husband, Michael Mills; her sister-in-law Carole, her two sons, Scott (Cyndi) and David were here pride and joy. She was Nana to grandchildren Madeline, Evan (Hailey), Delaney, and Connor, and a great grandmother to Theodore, Nathaniel, Arlow and Piper. Nana’s love for her grandchildren and great‑grandchildren was boundless, and she took immense pride in each of them. She will be sadly missed by Nieces and Nephews Kimberly, Bryan, Tyson and Emily and countless cousins, extended family and friends that were often closer than family. She loved her family and enjoyed spending time with them and her grandchildren especially large family Christmases.

Growing up in Ottawa, Betty Jane attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute and later Carleton University for an undergrad and a Master’s degree. BJ spent her childhood summers at Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, surrounded by cousins, long days on the water, and the kind of friendships that last a lifetime. Her summers were full of stories, seeing her sitting in her fold‑up chair on “our” dock, peeking in cottage windows as a teenager at night, and enjoying an endless supply of sunshine, good gossip, swapping recipes, and talking about the books everyone was reading or hoped to read. Clear Lake was more than a place she visited; it was a place that shaped her, and a circle of friends who continued to gather there year after year, for as long as travel allowed.

BJ devoted her life to education and to helping young children discover the joy of learning. She began her teaching career on the military base in Petawawa before moving to Mississauga to teach at Froebel School. She later settled in Ottawa, where she taught at Rideau Valley Middle School and then at Roland Michener Elementary School in Kanata. Even after retiring from full‑time teaching, she continued to tutor, sharing her patience, kindness, and steady encouragement with new generations of students. She coached soccer, was a cub scout leader and ensured her boys were strong swimmers.

Music was a quiet but constant thread in her life. She loved to sit at the piano and playing music that brought her comfort and joy, filling her home with familiar melodies.

A private interment for family and invited guests will be held, followed by a celebration of BJ’s life on Wednesday, June 24th at 1:00pm, at Beechwood Funeral, Cemetery and Cremation Services (280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa, ON k1L 8A6). Her family takes comfort in knowing that her legacy lives on in the countless students she taught, the music she loved, the friendships she cherished, and the family she held close throughout her life.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to an Ottawa‑based cat (feline) charitable organizations, there are many to choose from.