Obituary of Elma Murdoch Lank
LANK, Elma Murdoch Layton - Of Kingston, ON - Born March 16, 1927 in Truro, NS - Elma bid farewell to her beloved family on May 11, 2022. Predeceased by her cherished husband Edward, she is survived by her sister Charlotte MacQuarrie, brother Norman (Mary) Layton, daughter Charlotte (Fred) Jones, sons; Ben (Diana) and Andy (Christine), grandchildren; Sheri Jones (Mike Lloyd), Renée Jones (David Turner), Sacha and Jesse, great-grandchildren; Austen, Jackson, Owen, Adalyn and Xavier. She had a special place in her heart for her many dear friends.
Elma graduated from Acadia University in 1947 before becoming a teacher, spouse and mother. She and Edward spent many wonderful and fulfilling years raising a family in Arvida, Quebec. They also lived in Montreal, Jamaica and Ireland, before retiring to Kingston. Her life-long passion for music was evident as a pianist, singer, choir member, choir director, and accompanist. She volunteered countless hours playing the piano at seniors’ residences.
Elma was well-known as a consummate hostess with a welcoming smile and generous heart. She lived her life with boundless optimism, dignity and grace. Elma deeply loved her family and friends; she was our cheerleader, duet partner, golf teammate and fierce scrabble opponent. She was active with many community organizations including the Kingston Choral Society, Kingston Senior Choristers, Kingston Seniors’ Centre, Chalmers United Church and the Cataraqui Golf & Country Club.
She will be greatly missed. Elma loved organizing get-togethers with family and friends both old new and new. Her family will be reciprocating in her honour on October 22, 2022 at the Edith Rankin Memorial United Church. Visitation will take place at 1:00 PM and the service at 2:00 PM, followed by a reception. Please join Elma’s family in joyful celebration of her life well lived.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation and the Seniors’ Centre of Kingston.
