Evelyn Betty (Fawcett) Stanyar (1920 - 2008)

Born 22 Dec 1920 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Ancestors

Wife of George Harold (Lawrence) Sherman — married 17 Dec 1946 (to about 1959) in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

Wife of Jack Wayne Stanyar — married 20 Nov 1970 in Bellingham, Whatcom, Washington, United States

Died 23 Mar 2008 at age 87 in Bellingham, Whatcom, Washington, United States

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Biography

Betty was born in late 1920,^[1] the only child of Lionel Fawcett and Zealandia Carter. The family lived at 1022 Collinson Street (a second residence on property long held by the Fawcetts, demolished in 1975, the land is now occupied by low-rise apartments).^[2] Betty's father passed away in summer 1925,^[3] at that point the family was living at 1776 Rockland Avenue.^[4] By 1927 Betty and her mother had returned to 1022 Collinson,^[5] where they remained through the end of 1938.^[6]

Encouraged into song and dance, Betty, chaperoned by her mother, attended classes at a junior performing arts outfit in Hollywood called Rainbow Studios. This appears to have occurred for a few months, after mid-1936 and before early-1938.

In mid-1938, Betty's cousin Alfred Edward Carter Jr., an honors student in French, won the Governor-General's Gold Medal at the University of British Columbia, recognizing him as the highest-achieving student at that institution.^[7] Alfred continued his studies that autumn at University of Paris, a connection which gave Betty the opportunity to take opera training there. Betty and her mother arrived in Paris in January 1939. That training continued in Paris and later Rome for about 18 months, after which time Betty and her mother made a harrowing return to Victoria amidst the chaos of the developing world war.^[8][9]

The mid-1940s saw Betty marry radio broadcaster George Harold Lawrence.^[10] The couple changed their names in spring 1947: Evelyn Betty Lawrence became Robyn R. Sherman and George Harold Lawrence became John R. Sherman.^[11] The couple and their two young children lived primarily in Vancouver through 1951, with John working as an announcer for local CBC radio, living at 2220 East 24th Avenue.^[12]

In summer 1952 husband John took a job at KUJ radio in Walla Walla, Washington, and the family of four migrated there.^[13] In 1955 the family relocated to Bellingham, Washington with John employed at KVOS:

John Sherman is newscaster on 12, 6:10 p.m. Monday through Friday to bring British Columbia news from KVOS-TV's studios in Bellingham. He was with CBC radio in Ottawa and Vancouver before becoming production manager in charge of the entire programming operation on Channel 12. ^[14]

In Bellingham the family initially lived at 2923 Victor Street,^[15] then moved to 116 Alabama Street,^[16] and 1735 Telegraph Road.^[17]

Commensurate with a divorce, in 1959 John moved to Seattle, with Robyn and their children remaining in Bellingham.^[18] Over time Robyn worked as a nurse and office clerk while raising her children. She married Jack Stanyar in 1970, he passed away in 1983. Her mother passed away at Bellingham in 1979.

Born Evelyn Betty Fawcett, Robyn Stanyar passed away in spring 2008:

Robyn Stanyar, age 87, of Bellingham, WA, passed away Sunday, March 23, 2008, after a brief illness. ... [S]he was actively involved with the Mt. Baker Kennel Club for years, showing her beloved dogs; and Robyn was the Real Mrs. Claus at Christmas time. With her wonderful warm smile and golden voice, she brought much happiness to many. She and her daughter [...] started the Santa Claus Crusade. For 15 years during the Christmas season, they visited all the nursing homes, private homes of elderly, shut-ins, disabled veterans, children, and many low-income homes. Robyn joined the volunteer Sheriffs Dept. at age 87 and had just finished all the training. She had a very special place in her heart for all the officers. ^[19]

Research Notes

Some details found in Betty's memoir^[20] appear exaggerated or otherwise questionable:

• Although the memoir states Betty swam as a young girl alongside Florence Chadwick in an attempt to cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca, no such event occurred. Three men attempted and failed in October 1933, and they were not accompanied by children.^[21] The event was, however, successful in promoting swimming lessons for children at Crystal Pool. Florence did attempt the feat in 1954,^[22] when Betty was already married, with two children, and living under her new name Robyn Sherman, in Walla Walla, WA.
• The memoir states that Betty had the "wealthiest and influential Dunsmuirs" as godparents, and that she would occasionally stay with them at Hatley Park. James Dunsmuir, the owner of Hatley Park, had died six months prior to Betty's birth. No other married Dunsmuirs ever lived at Hatley Park during Betty's infancy, although it's possible that Betty had an association with widow Dunsmuir, and/or one of the Dunsmuir daughters under her married surname. It appears more likely that Betty may have simply attended one or more events at Hatley Park during her youth.
• Although the memoir states her Hollywood studies lasted three years starting 1934, newspaper reports have Betty performing in Victoria during at least December '34, November '35, March thru June '36, March thru November '37, and April thru July '38. Rainbow Studios was formed in March 1934 at Gramercy Place, and relocated to North Cahuenga Boulevard, the address cited in Betty's memoir, in mid-1936.^[23] Tom Montez, the dance instructor cited in the memoir, appears at the school at that same time frame.^[24] Between 1934 and 1938, Betty's mother was continually listed in the Victoria directory living at 1022 Collinson. These facts, in combination with the letters transcribed in the memoir, likely put Betty in Los Angeles for a few months in late 1937 to early 1938.
• Although the memoir states cousin Alfred Edward Carter Jr. went missing in France and was presumed dead, he too returned to Canada, continued his studies, and worked in both Canada and the US as a professor of French literature.^[25][26]
• Although the memoir states her mother bought Betty and George Lawrence a house on East Hastings Street, no such Vancouver address is found for the Lawrences or Shermans during the time period. The immigration documents referenced below cite the East 24th Avenue address.

Sources

1. ↑ (12th birthday party), Victoria Daily Times, December 22, 1932, page 12
2. ↑ Henderson's Victoria Directory, 1921, page 310, https://bccd.vpl.ca/1921/Henderson's_Victoria_Directory/jpeg/0201_Victoria_Names_A-Z_Page_112.jpeg
3. ↑ Province of British Columbia, Death Record, Reg. No. 1925-09-346124
4. ↑ Wrigley Henderson Amalgamated British Columbia Directory, 1925, page 1347, https://bccd.vpl.ca/1925/Wrigley_Henderson_Amalgamated_British_Columbia_Directory/tiff/1305_Victoria_Names_A-Z_Page_043.tif
5. ↑ Wrigley's British Columbia Directory, 1927, page 1518, https://bccd.vpl.ca/1927/Wrigley%27s_British_Columbia_Directory/tiff/1469_Victoria_Names_A-Z_Page_050.tif
6. ↑ British Columbia and Yukon Directory, 1938, page 1569, https://bccd.vpl.ca/1938/British_Columbia_and_Yukon_Directory/tiff/1525_Greater_Victoria_Names_A-Z_Page_045.tif
7. ↑ "A. E. Carter, Victoria 'Dark Horse' Wins Gold Medal in U.B.C. Exams", Vancouver Sun, May 11, 1938, page 1
8. ↑ "Insulted in Rome, Slip From France", Victoria Daily Times, July 4, 1940, page 11, https://archive.org/details/victoriadailytimes19400704/page/n10/mode/1up
9. ↑ "Dodged Nazi Bombers", Victoria Daily Times, July 24, 1940, page 16, https://archive.org/details/victoriadailytimes19400724/page/n15/mode/1up
10. ↑ King County Marriage Records, 1855-2018 - George H Lawrence - Evelyn B Fawcett, https://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/DigitalObject/Download/cff465a3-f953-4e38-a687-f884ae7512ff
11. ↑ "Notice of Application For Change of Name", Victoria Daily Times, March 5, 1947, page 19
12. ↑ Vancouver and New Westminster City Directory, 1951, page 516, https://bccd.vpl.ca/1951/Vancouver_and_New_Westminster_City_Directory/tiff/0039_Greater_Vancouver_Names_A-Z_Page_478.tif
13. ↑ US Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Form I-448, John Sherman and Robyn Sherman, August 18, 1952
14. ↑ Vancouver Province, April 14, 1956, page 14
15. ↑ Polk's Bellingham City Directory, 1955, Alphabetical Listings, page 405
16. ↑ Polk's Bellingham City Directory, 1956, Alphabetical Listings, page 499
17. ↑ Polk's Bellingham City Directory, 1960, Alphabetical Listings, page 376
18. ↑ "Sherman Joins KTW", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 29, 1959, page 12
19. ↑ Bellingham Herald, March 26, 2008
20. ↑ Hopke, G. (2002). Now I know: The private memoirs of Robyn Stanyar. FirstBooks Library.
21. ↑ "First Attempt To Swim Strait Is Failure", Victoria Daily Colonist, October 17, 1933, page 12, https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist1033uvic_12/page/n11/mode/1up
22. ↑ "Pulled From Water In Defeat, Flo Returns To Ovation", Victoria Daily Colonist, August 10, 1954, page 1, https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist0854uvic_6/mode/1up
23. ↑ "Rainbow Studios In New Location", Hollywood Citizen-News, June 6, 1936, page 10
24. ↑ Hanford [CA] Morning Journal, August 23, 1936, page 5
25. ↑ "UBC Graduate Given Post At Princeton", Vancouver Province, October 19, 1940, page 10
26. ↑ "Former Victorian Wins Fellowship To Study French", Victoria Daily Times, May 21, 1954, page 17