Elizabeth "Beth" Ann (Gorman) Wilband

Elizabeth Ann Wilband (1953-2024)

With great sadness, we announce the death of Elizabeth Ann Wilband (Gorman) on June 25, 2024. Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and teacher, she passed away peacefully with family by her side, after a long illness. 

Beth was born in Saint John, New Brunswick on September 5, 1953, the daughter of Donald (Buzz) and Alice (Bootsie) Gorman. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her infant brother Paul.

She will be deeply missed by her devoted husband of 44 years, Donald, sons Daniel (Michelle), Patrick (Amanda), and Kevin (Autumn) along with Kevin Burke (Michelle), and her siblings Michael (Carol) Gorman, Eileen (Francis) LeBlanc and Susan Gorman (Ron Hache). Her later years were brightened by her grandchildren, to whom she was intensely dedicated: Stella, David, Shyla, Harper, Wrenlee, Sawyer, Madison, Gracie and Brooklyn.

Beth grew up in Saint John’s South Central Peninsula, attending St. Joseph’s Elementary, Aberdeen Junior High, and Saint Vincent’s Girls School. Beth graduated from Teachers College in Fredericton and later earned other diplomas. After beginning her teaching career at age 19 at Holy Trinity School, she spent many years teaching at Loch Lomond Elementary School, just around the corner from where she and Don raised their boys, and where she was cherished by the countless students and colleagues whose lives she touched over the years. 

Fiercely intelligent, Beth had a great mind for teaching young people. She especially loved working with youth in their early years of learning to read, and her own children and grandchildren were among the foremost beneficiaries of her work.

The centre of Beth’s life was her family. She was close to her parents until their deaths, and her sisters remained her best friends throughout her life. Devoted to her husband Don for more than four decades, she loved nothing more than to spend time with him and with her sons, watching them grow with their families and supporting them unwaveringly in every achievement and in every setback. From their childhood hockey games and choir or dance performances to their university degrees and marriages, she found immense pride and joy in the lives of all her children and grandchildren. 

Beth was the point upon which our family converged, encouraging us all to stay close with one another and always working behind the scenes to ensure our needs were met. 

Beth also enjoyed beautiful gardening, travelling on vacations, reading and taking long walks. In the final decade or more of her earthly life, her health condition prevented her from doing so much of what she loved. But Beth endured her affliction with patience, humility, faith, and without complaint. She was a quiet inspiration and irreplaceable comfort to all who knew and loved her. We cannot imagine our lives without her and her memory will never leave us.

Many thanks to the team at Lily Court, in Tucker Hall at Parkland Saint John for their care and compassion toward Beth in her final years.

In accordance with her wishes, cremation has already taken place and there will be no visitation or formal public service.  To honour Beth’s life, we encourage you to make a donation to a charity that is meaningful to you.