Betty Ann Aaboe-Milligan

Obituary – Betty Ann Aaboe-Milligan November 15th, 1946 - April 25th, 2025 Betty Ann Aaboe-Milligan — “BA” or Bet to friends, died at home at Head of Jeddore, Nova Scotia. After more than twenty years of courage and determination, she lost her battle with Parkinson’s disease. Betty Ann, being a nature lover, enjoyed most aspects of outdoor life. Gardening and growing things was a lifelong passion. She was a voracious reader and a woman of boundless curiosity. By nature, Bet was an organizer and coordinator. Whether helping a friend to demolish and rebuild their old home or managing volunteers, supplies, and food for her own timber frame house‑raising, Bet was your girl. She organized people, information, plans, and projects. She leaves behind many beloved people: Her husband of 47 years, Kim Aaboe, with whom she adventured, first in Denmark where she became proficient in the local language and culture, then back home in Nova Scotia where she continued a successful museum career. They raised a family and faced every‑day life with children, grandchildren, construction projects, livestock and pets on the Eastern Shore. Although not an avid sailor, Bet was always a great support in the family's sailing adventures, often supplying off-shore weather reporting from home-base. Her daughter Maria Aaboe and grandsons Matteo and Aidan, who lived with her for the past 5 years and were a great support to their “Betty Ann”. Her son Thomas Aaboe, his wife Jessica and their daughters Chloe and Alice, were equally devoted to their “Grammy.” All generations of kids were forever known as ‘George’ or ‘Skeezix’ and Betty Ann/Grammy was immensely proud of her grandchildren. She had them wrapped around her little finger; -or perhaps it was the other way around? Betty Ann is also survived by her sister Marlene Davis. Her brother John Robert Milligan (“Jayar”) and wife Jenny. She was predeceased by her infant daughter; Lærke. Her parents, Roberta and Clinton Milligan (“Bob” and “Faud”) of Tyne Valley, PEI. Inlaws Anna Marie Prebensen and Jørn Aaboe; Denmark; and brother‑in‑law Derek Davis; Dartmouth, NS. Born in Halifax, Bet’s childhood was spent partly in Boston, as well as in Winnipeg ,— but summers were usually “Up West” in PEI with cousins and family. Betty Ann held a BA from Dalhousie and a B.Ed. from the University of Calgary. She was among the first female crew onboard CSS “Hudson” on a scientific voyage to the Mid Atlantic Ridge with a stop-over in the Azores. She then pursued a career in the Nova Scotia Museum’s Education Department, where she developed the School Loans Program, bringing artifacts, replicas, and hands‑on learning into classrooms. Her long provincial career spanned many departments, always rooted in her deep commitment to Nova Scotia’s heritage and history. Legacy is the part of a life that lingers on. Hundreds of plants in many gardens connect their roots to Betty Ann’s life. “Animal Signatures”—now in its fourth edition—includes her actual footprint and continues to live on in libraries, summer camps, wildlife education programs, and provincial parks. Her name is woven through the archives and annals of Nova Scotia’s heritage and museum history. Every guest who ever attended the traditional ‘Julefrokost’, will remember the experience and the food she and Kim created—unless, of course, they enjoyed a few too many Linie Akvavit ’Skåls’.... Our heartfelt thanks go out to our local caregivers and in-home support. We owe immense gratitude to Myrka Jollivet-Lowe, Betty Ann’s caregiver extraordinaire. Throughout the years, Myrka became more than just a family friend, she became family. Cremation has taken place; interment to follow at a later date in Tyne Valley, PEI. A memorial gathering for this remarkable and beloved lady will be held Saturday, May 23rd, 2026, 1.30-4p.m. at the Fairbanks Interpretive Centre, 54 Locks Road, Dartmouth, NS, B2X 2W7

Betty Ann Aaboe-Milligan

November 15, 1946 - April 25, 2026