The night of 15 April 1912, when Titanic went down, John and Lizzie died together, even though she could have been saved. A woman called Emily Richards was a fellow passenger who survived. She later related how she stood with Lizzie as they waited to get on to lifeboat number four; but when Lizzie realised it was women and children only, and that John couldn't come with her, she turned to Mrs Richards and said goodbye. If John couldn't come, Lizzie said, she wouldn't either; and then she stepped out of the line to be with him.

 

Lizzie's body was never recovered, but John's was picked up by a ship called the MacKay Bennett; he is buried in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Several items were recovered on his body, including a watch, a lady's handbag that must have belonged to Lizzie, a chain and a badge.