November 15, 1936 – July 28, 2024
It is with heavy hearts that we acknowledge the passing of Berni Garrison, born 87 years ago in Kenora, Ontario, following a period of illness, in Sechelt, BC.
Berni was a larger-than-life character who loved making people happy, and for many years, was a professional entertainer, playing piano and singing from the early 1950s onward, on radio, tv and stages around Canada. She began life in Kenora, ON, and joined a large extended family of Fullers and Garrisons. Born to Tillie and Bill, and later, becoming sister to Cindi, she enjoyed visiting the family farm and delighting her elders with performances from a young age. During the war, while her father was abroad, she was cared for by her Mum, Auntie Silver and Uncle Bert Betton. They travelled to the West for a time, implanting in the young girl a fondness for this wild, new frontier. Berni took years of piano lessons, never caring much for theory, and annoyed her Mum with her “noisy” attempts at replicating music she’d hear on records and the radio. These efforts later paid off professionally, when at 18 years of age, she began a career in musical entertainment. While she particularly enjoyed the music of the 40s and 50s, she also played hits of the day throughout the 60s and 70s, and raising two children, Derrick and Kai-Lee, before officially retiring in Winnipeg in 1976. Later, she took on different work roles in Alberta and British Columbia, before arriving on the Sunshine Coast in the mid-1990s. Berni loved her cabin and plot of land in Roberts Creek, and making new friends inside and outside of musical spheres while here. She participated in local choral, musical and drama groups and provided musical comfort to elderly people in care homes. She will be remembered for her sense of humour, generous and caring spirit, and love of nature. A celebration of life will be held to honour her memory on Sunday, September 22nd, from 1-3 pm at the Roberts Creek Community Hall. As she’d wished, the gathering will be filled with music and happy reminiscences.
