We Remember
BROUGHTON, Brenda
December 30, 1943 — July 25, 2026
On July 25, 2026, at the age of 82, Brenda Broughton left this life peacefully with family at her side at her home in Lake Country, B.C. We said goodbye to our Mom and Nana through tears, but are comforted that her suffering is over and that she looked forward to going to her heavenly home to be reunited with her beloved husband, Geoffrey.
She is survived by her son Wayne (Carrie) Broughton and daughter Jeannette (Dave) van Til; her grandchildren Casey, Caleb, Natalie, and Tor; and many other family and friends.
She was predeceased by her husband of 51 years, Geoffrey Broughton; her parents Alice and John “Jack” Pallett; and her brother John Pallett.
Born on December 30, 1943, in Walsall, England, Brenda grew up in Bloxwich in modest circumstances and with no indoor plumbing, as she would sometimes like to remind us. She found her true calling in life when she trained as a Registered Nurse from 1963 to 1966 at the Queen Elizabeth School of Nursing in Birmingham and then on a surgical ward at the General Hospital.
In 1964, a handsome young patient named Geoffrey was on Brenda’s ward, and later that evening she told her friend that she had met the man she was going to marry. Three years later they did marry, and Brenda went on her first airplane flight to their honeymoon in Tunisia. The couple then moved to London, where she trained and worked from 1967 to 1968 at a psychiatric hospital, a maternity hospital, and in an outpatient department.
Their son, Wayne, was born in 1968, and the following year Brenda and Geoffrey made the decision to immigrate to Toronto, Canada. Their daughter, Jeannette, was born there in 1971. Soon after this, the family relocated west to British Columbia, living first in Richmond and later in Tsawwassen, growing by one more member with the addition of our dear dog Heidi. Mom devoted herself to raising her young children, and Wayne and Jeannette remember her lovingly making our house a home, wiping away tears and bandaging up hurts.
In 1980, she was certified as an R.N. in British Columbia and worked on the general surgical ward at Delta Hospital for several years. She finished her nursing career working at a family health centre in Tsawwassen. We are proud to know that she was able to touch and help so many people’s lives in her work.
Brenda prayerfully came to faith in Jesus as a teenager, and her steadfast Christian faith was an essential source of comfort, guidance, and hope to her throughout her life. She and Geoffrey found church homes and lifelong friends at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Richmond, South Delta Baptist Church in Tsawwassen, and Grace Baptist Church in Kelowna. Brenda volunteered a lot in her church communities, including teaching Sunday School, helping with Vacation Bible School and Pioneer Girls, and serving on committees and organizing events.
Over the years, Brenda’s love of crafts showed up in many ways. We now have cherished examples of her ceramic painting, quilting, knitting, crocheting, macrame, and rug hooking. She also loved showing off a good thrift store find!
While their honeymoon trip was the first time Brenda had flown on an airplane, she and Geoffrey had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout their marriage, first on family vacations and then by themselves. In addition to many trips back to Britain to see family and friends, they travelled throughout Europe and the United States, and visited Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba, Japan, New Zealand, Fiji, and the Cook Islands. They also went on cruises in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Brenda enjoyed swimming ever since she was a child, and she always preferred to go somewhere warm where she could relax at a beach or by a swimming pool.
In 2007, a few years after Geoffrey retired, they moved to a house with a beautiful view over Okanagan Lake in Lake Country. After Geoffrey passed away in 2019, Brenda chose to live a quiet life at home, enjoying time with her cat Fluffy and either a book or a puzzle. Her granddaughter Natalie came to live with her while studying at university, and Brenda was grateful for her company and companionship.
The last five months were very difficult for Brenda as her health declined after an emergency surgery. During this final season of her life, Brenda and her daughter-in-law Carrie found an unexpected and precious friendship that Carrie will always cherish. The family would like to express our deep gratitude to all the staff at Glenmore Lodge for their compassion and support, as well as to the care aides who cared for her at her home, and to the Palliative Care Team from Interior Health. Brenda often expressed her appreciation for all the kindness she was shown.
In lieu of flowers, we invite you to take a moment and tell someone you love them and give them a hug, donate to a thrift store, do a craft or puzzle in honour of Brenda, and share a memory you have of her on the obituary page or with the family directly.
A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at 1:00 PM (local time), at Springfield Funeral Home, 2020 Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC. Pastor Andy Dietrich will be officiating. A reception will be held following the service in the Springfield Funeral Home Family Centre.
If you are unable to attend in person, please join the family online by livestream at the time of the service, or view the livestream recording (see below)
If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area called “Condolences”.
