March 9, 1941 ~ August 4, 2023
Barbara (Betsey) was born in 1941 in Baltimore, Maryland, but made Massachusetts and New Hampshire her homes for the remainder of her life.
Her early years were spent in New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee, where her family summered in a cottage on an island. She quickly developed a love for boating and mastered navigation. Her skills caught the eye of a handsome fellow named Don, whose family also summered in a nearby cottage. He soon learned the name of the pretty girl who expertly docked the Thompson and hurried over the hill to work as a soda jerk at Dorothy’s Ice Cream Shop. It wasn’t too long before Don and his brothers became regulars and enjoyed the heaping portions Betsey dished out when the strict owner wasn’t looking. Thus began the love affair. Was it over her boating skills or because she served ice cream? We may never know.
Betsey attended Keene State College and graduated to become a first-grade teacher at Birch Meadow Elementary School in Reading, MA. Oftentimes, her classrooms had upwards of 30 students in them with no aides or parents to help. After a few years, during which time she and Don had married, Betsey decided to retire and devote herself full-time to being a homemaker to raise their three children. However, her passion for teaching never truly left her. She found creative ways to engage her children in educational activities, endlessly weaving learning experiences into their vacations. Each child was expected to write a report about something he or she learned during the trip.
Betsey loved keeping busy with crafts, and her house was always stocked with an endless assortment of supplies. She joined crafting groups at her church and made hundreds of items to sell each year at the Olde Reading Faire. After moving to Easton in 1998, she got involved with the town’s Meals on Wheels program and would make 50 greeting cards each month that would be slipped into the food bags for seniors. The cards brought smiles to many faces over the years, and she enjoyed brightening people’s days.
Her love of pineapples was apparent the moment you stepped into her home, as was her love for cats. She doted on her Maine Coons, Pele, and Mia, and her children used to joke that the cats outranked them in her heart.
Despite a valiant and hard-fought battle, she finally succumbed to her disease at her beloved home, surrounded by family. Betsey was fortunate to have had some wonderful nurses and caregivers who provided comfort throughout her illness: Marie, Lynne, Marci, JoAnn, Courtney and Maddie were welcomed rays of sunshine, and the family is forever grateful to each of them for the humanity they displayed.
Betsey leaves behind three children: Pamela and her husband Thomas Borbely of North Easton, James and his wife Elcenora of Virginia, and Sarah and her husband Daniel of Pennsylvania. She is survived by seven grandchildren: Adam and Daniel Borbely, Andrew and Alexandra Takach, and William, Abigail and Isabel Arnholt. She is also survived by many brothers- and sisters-in-law, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Her legacy will live on through her family, her contributions to her community, and the memories shared by those who knew and loved her.
A visitation will be held on Tuesday, August 8 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM in the Southeast Funeral Home, 93 Center St., Easton, MA. Funeral Service will take place on Wednesday, August 9th at 10:00 AM at the Covenant Congregational Church, 204 Center St., N. Easton.
Donations in Betsey’s honor can be made to your local animal shelter, Easton’s Meals on Wheels program, Old Colony Hospice, or Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
