Elizabeth “Bissy" Grzesik passed away peacefully from cancer at age 72 in the Colchester Health Center May 13, 2020.

Born in 1948 to Bertha Sansom and Walter Pringle, Bissy was thrust into independence at a young age, losing both her parents to cancer by the time she was 17.

From this young age, Bissy embraced change, loving the rush of new places, new people and new experiences. She never shied away from uprooting everything to take a chance. And while some of those chances may not have panned out as she originally intended, when they are all considered together, her path shows an inspiring trail of curiousity and discovery, of an excitement for life and a desire to fully live it. From Halifax to Vancouver to Belleville, she brightened so many people’s lives with her hilarious antics, ridiculous sense of humour and insightful understanding. No matter how troubled she was, she always put on an amazing face for everyone around her.

Bissy was very proud of her years spent teaching - she was a teacher at heart. She absolutely loved the kids she taught and genuinely cared for every one of them. Her many years spent working in Community Services was also greatly important to her. Bissy was the type of person that strangers would tell their life story to randomly in a Tim Hortons or a waiting room. And she would listen with great compassion every time. She truly empathized with people and always carried their struggles as if they were her own.

And while she was incredibly intelligent and aware, Bissy was ridiculously accident prone. Canadian winters and poor footwear choices were formidable enemies, but Bissy seemed to be able to fall off almost anything during any season.

No description of Bissy would be complete without a mention of the way she could wield a couple of knitting needles. Her unique creations are worn and enjoyed by people all over the world. She was greatly inspired by the ocean, wildlife and nature, often preferring the company of trees or waves to the chatter of other people.

While this world is always inventing new ways to try to keep a fierce, intelligent and independent woman like Bissy down, she never let the outside world see how it affected her. Instead, she’d bust through the door, dancing and clapping, getting the pets and kids all riled up while she ate all the sweets.

Bissy is predeceased by her husband of 40 years, Greg Grzesik, and is survived by her sister Dianne Inglis, her sons Erin & Caley and her grandchildren Rhett, Holden, Sydney and Charlotte.