- Date Of Birth: July 22, 1934
- Date Of Death: January 3, 2016
- State: Maine
Elizabeth Mary Lygo
July 22, 1934
January 3, 2016
Elizabeth Mary Lygo, 81, passed away on Sunday January 3, 2016 after a short battle with leukemia, in her home in Cumberland, surrounded by loved ones. She was born in London, England on July 22, 1934 to Lionel & Lillian Smith. She became the only surviving child after her brother, Michael, a Royal Air Force pilot, was killed on active duty during WWII. He was 15 years her senior.
She is survived by Fiona Jane Lygo of Devon, England, Penelope Kim Lygo of London, England, Clare Lygo Yarn of Cumberland, Maine & Andrew Derek Lygo & wife, Cheryl Lygo of Gold Coast, Australia. She is also survived by her 6 grandchildren, Lucy & Tiffany Watson, Taylor & AJ Yarn and Cooper & Hunter Lygo.
Evacuated to relatives in the country during the London Blitz she moved back to London during the V2 flying bomb era. She won a scholarship to Sutton High School where she enjoyed singing, dancing & acting, taking lead roles in many Gilbert & Sullivan joint school productions. Later she studied singing Grand Opera professionally & went on to sing with the Bach Choir in the Royal Albert Hall & with the Philharmonic Choir in the Sydney Opera House.
She won a place at Guys Hospital in London where she studied Physical Therapy, qualifying in 1955 as a Member of the Chartered Society of Physical Therapy. She subsequently practiced in London, Hong Kong & Australia.
In 1957 she married Gordon Thompson, a Dental surgeon she met at Guys Hospital. Their marriage was childless & ended in divorce five years later.
She married Arthur John Derek Lygo in 1961. He was an ambitious Entrepreneur and life was never dull. Four babies & seven homes around England in five years, preceded a move to Hong Kong in 1971.
The highlight of the era was entertaining Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Phillip in 1978 at the opening of the first container terminal port, Modern Terminals Ltd, built in Hong Kong, of which Derek Lygo was the CEO & Managing Director. The heartbreak of that era was sending her 4 children to boarding school in England & Switzerland & being apart from them.
After a failing retirement venture in Brisbane, Australia, she divorced in 1987. She went back into private practice for another 10 years in Brisbane & then Sydney. She came to Maine in June 1998 to be close to her daughter, Clare Lygo Yarn & twin Grandchildren.
She joined Saint Mary the Virgin Church & became an active member singing with the choir & serving as a Lector & Chalice Bearer. She was on the Flower & Memorial Guild & volunteered at the Soup Kitchen. She also volunteered at Maine Medical Center & later did Home Care & Hospice work.
She became a member of the Choral Arts Society Masterworks Choir in 1999. She also became a familiar face on local TV commercials.
She survived Colon Cancer in 2007 & two strokes in 2008 & 2009. She was courageous throughout.
The family would like to give heartfelt thanks to caregivers, Deborah Fox & Maria Harrison, for their years of love, gentleness & care of our Mother. Bless you both.
