A life well lived

Remembering Lila Hope-Simpson and honouring her memory

To readers she was known for her keen observations and clever turn of phrase.

But Lila Hope-Simpson wore many hats. In addition to being a writer, she was a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and early childhood educator.

“She just loved being a grandmother,” says her daughter, Jasmine Almeida. “We would come to Nova Scotia every summer and she loved taking her grandkids to places like Oaklawn Farm and showing them the places she took me when I was growing up.”

Lila passed away on March 31, 2021 at age 67. She was the mother of three children: Rudi (1979); Jasmine (1982); and Natasha (1990).

Born and raised in Montreal, Lila was the author of four books and a poetry anthology. Released in 2013, her novel, Stepping Out, is a story of a woman’s journey to find love and courage.

Fiddles and Spoons: Journey of an Acadian Mouse is a story for young readers about a mouse family, the expulsion of the Acadians and the will to survive.

The Clothesline Collection is a compilation of Lila’s positive parenting columns, and she authored an early parenting book, From Tots to Toddlers. In 2005, she received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education, and in 2006 Lila received the Marianna Dempster Award for Children’s Literature from the Canadian Author’s Association.

Lila was dedicated to early childhood development and education. She worked with kids with disabilities, and eventually opened her own pre-school, Home & Heart Child Development Centre, in Wolfville. She later became an inspector of family home daycares.

“There are many people in the Valley who were taught to share and take turns by my mom,” Jasmine writes.

Lila was a regular columnist with Saltwire Network’s community newspapers, where readers enjoyed her weekly takes on everything from homemade recipes to the antics of her dogs, Bruno and Chester.

“Lila was always a pleasure to work with and came up with so many relatable and fun columns for readers,” says Paula Bugden, senior editor of SaltWire Network’s weekly community newspapers. “I looked forward to her monthly submissions and I know she’ll be missed by many.”

It was at a house party in Wolfville that Lila met Ian Hope-Simpson, an accomplished blacksmith, carpenter, mason, and ferrier. On June 16, 1989 they held their wedding reception at the Newtonville property where Ian had recently built a house, and the following year they welcomed a beautiful baby, Natasha, into their home.

While Lila and Ian built a happy life on top of the beautiful Gaspereau Valley, they also took time to see the world, visiting Israel, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and numerous other Caribbean islands.

“We had some fantastic adventures,” Ian says. “We weren’t hanging around at resorts – we got out into the countryside and learned about people’s lives.”

They were also outdoor adventurers, enjoying time camping, canoeing, and hiking with friends here in Nova Scotia and in Newfoundland.

Lila had seemingly been born with an adventurous spirit, Jasmine notes.

“She hitchhiked across Canada with one of her girlfriends when she was 18. They went from Montreal until they were standing in the Pacific Ocean in their bare feet.”

Her wisdom, dependability and sharp sense of humour made her a precious friend, Ian recalls.

“She had an amazing circle of friends,” he says. “Many of them go right back to her childhood. She never lost friends, and just kept adding more.”

Lila would make regular visits to Montreal, where she would catch up with her childhood friends.

“She had friends from elementary school, from college and from the Valley,” Jasmine recalls.

Lila was first diagnosed with cancer in 2008, and while initial treatments appeared successful, by 2018 it had become stage four metastatic cancer.

“She never complained,” Ian says. “Lila didn’t want anybody having pity for her. She liked the quote ‘acceptance is the gift we give ourselves’ and that was very much how she lived her life.”