Lois Lilienstein of the beloved Canadian children's singing group, Sharon, Lois & Bram, has died. She was 78.

Her son David Lilienstein told The Canadian Press that his mother was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer last October. She died at her home in Toronto Thursday, surrounded by friends and family.

"She knew it was happening, she was at peace with it, and she died very peacefully and not in pain," he told CP.

Lois Lilienstein joined Sharon Hampson and Bram Morrison in 1978 to form a singing trio that performed for children all over Canada and the U.S. Their happy, folky, sing-along songs quickly became favourites of both parents and kids alike.

Hampson and Morrison remembered Lilienstein as a “very creative person,” and a “wonderful mother.”

Morrison told CTV News Channel that Lilienstein’s granddaughter was “the love of Lois’s life.”

“That’s one of the very sad elements to this whole story,” he said.

In 1984, the trio began a TV program called "The Elephant Show" that became a staple in the homes of many young Canadian families.

The show featured skits and songs and ended with the group's best-loved song, "Skinnamarink."

While the show ceased production in 1989, it has continued to earn new young fans in reruns.

The trio also starred in six national TV specials and made more than 20 recordings. In the late 1990s, the group returned to television with "Skinnamarink TV."

The Chicago-born Lilienstein retired from the group in 2000, citing the difficulty of touring. Sharon Hampson and Bram Morrison have continued to perform as Sharon & Bram.

Lilienstein reunited with the group last year, when a Toronto playground was renamed Sharon, Lois & Bram Playground in the troupe's honour. It features a large, elephant head-shaped sign.

The Toronto city councillor who pushed for the playground to be renamed expressed his sadness Thursday at hearing of Lilienstein's passing.

Lois was remarkable. She dedicated her career to making childrens' lives magical w/her music. I was one of those kids pic.twitter.com/kcbE8dpyPI — Josh Matlow (@JoshMatlow) April 23, 2015

Fellow Canadian children's music icon Raffi Cavoukian said he met Lilienstein in the mid-70s when he was just starting out.

They worked together as part of Mariposa in the Schools, a program that works with the Mariposa Folk Festival to introduce kids to music and it was she who taught him "The Hokey Pokey."

"Lois was one of the people who taught me all about what works well with children. So I'll miss her," he told CTV News Channel from Salt Spring Island.

Entertainer Eric Nagler, who appeared on “The Elephant Show,” said he last saw Lilienstein a few years ago. He said he got to know her very well while they performed together and remembers her as being full of energy, on stage and off.

“There wasn’t anything hidden about her,” Nagler said, adding that Lilienstein always “spoke from the heart.

“She was easy to understand and love.”

Morrison said the songs and video recordings the group made over the years “will live on.”

“What a fortunate thing to be able to comfort yourself with,” he said.