She was christened Priscilla Monica Williams. Liza lost her mother at an early age and was brought up by her Grandmother Taha.
When she was a young girl, she looked up in the sky and saw a plane flying over and promised herself that one day she would be on that plane.
She left for the big city after graduation and shared the home of the Schneiders and their two daughters while attending school in Vancouver.
She reflected many times over the years of the love and respect she had learned living under their roof. Mother Pauline was a firm but devoted Mom; the girls learned to budget, cook and especially to sew - something Liza loved to do for the rest of her life.
Next came Ottawa and a real job. After two years back east she returned to work in Vancouver.
She met her husband Ben and within a few months they were married. Over the next few years she trained and gave a future to dozens of girls until the family moved to the Sunshine Coast.
Living by the ocean in Sechelt always had the fondest memories, the murmur of the waves crashing on the shore will be with us for the years to come. Rick was born there.
A small twist of the back while working and the pain stayed with her the remainder of her life.
Greg was born seven years later just after her return from an European tour. The years flew by, as they do, and as her sons grew up she devoted more and more of her time to consultation and consoling others.
Her faith in God has helped her through the terror of the cancer diagnosis five years ago. The last five years were treasured by all of us.
Liza spent many happy days at the Health Institute in San Diego, and in the making of the video to help native women to cope with breast cancer and her medicinal herbs which she loved so much.
Until a year ago, she was in good health, when swelling in the right arm forced her to stop working every day. And from then on it was all downhill. Slowly she stopped her morning walks and her exercise. The old back injury came back to haunt her again.
Liza was taken to MSA Hospital on October 31th. In her final days she contracted pneumonia and a merciful God has taken her and ended her suffering.
She had a vision: She saw her Mom and Grandmother dancing in the night sky among the stars, beckoning her to come and join them.
Liza was not afraid to die, she was looking forward to meeting the Mother she had never known and her beloved Taha.
She returned to her God and her ancestors on November 16th, 1997 just as the sun came up.
I quote from her last letter to a friend, " I wish you all the things I can not have, I wish you happiness, a loving family around you and good health. My love will be with you forever. Liza Syeemat Simen-Falvy".