Betsy Lord brought the fun to any situation or gathering. She was witty and her quick replies made us all laugh.
Betsy was a skilled Laboratory Technician and Microbiologist at many hospitals including Harvard Medical Center and at labs including Battelle Marine Research. She volunteered to help build over 250 Habitat for Humanity Homes with her husband Frank, first earning the nickname 'Bent Nail Betsy' and then proudly earning the nickname 'Bobcat Betsy' after learning to operate a bobcat loader to transport building materials. (Everyone was envious of that nickname). She was a volunteer for her church wherever she lived and also at Plimouth Plantation, Meals on Wheels, and many soup kitchens.
Born June 19, 1932, in Newton MA, she was always getting into good trouble, like tracing the lines of the family dining room carpet with a tube of toothpaste before her parents' dinner guests would arrive. She met the love of her life, Frank Lord, in 7th grade. She said his corduroy knickers would squeak as he walked by, and she loved the smell of his Vaseline Hair Tonic. She was his "5 foot two, eyes of blue" sweetheart with a bubbly personality.
Betsy and Frank headed off to different colleges. Betsy attended Westbrook Junior College in Maine while Frank attended Brown University on a full naval ROTC scholarship. He wore his dress officer uniforms to Betsy's college dances. After graduating, Betsy completed the Newton Wellesley Hospital Medical Technician program in 1953 and became a laboratory technician, while Frank completed his naval officer training on a battleship and a destroyer in the Atlantic and then served 3 years of active duty in the Pacific.
Betsy and Frank were married in 1958 and went on a double honeymoon to Bermuda with Betsy's best friend since birth, Sally, and her new husband, Bill. The two couples were lifelong friends and traveled every year together.
Betsy and Frank began married life in Brookline MA. Betsy worked at Leary Labs while Frank was in the Naval Reserve and attended grad school at Boston University. They moved to Lexington MA for a teaching position for Frank, and daughter Jennifer was born. Betsy and Frank took an extended summer trip through Europe, with Jennifer in a baby carrier on Frank's back with a loaf of French bread to gum. Betsy and Frank's love of travel together over the years took them to many countries and continents. After son Jeffrey was born, they moved to Needham.
A terrific group of fun loving friends in Needham kept Betsy and Frank busy. There were family cook outs and dinner dances, vacations to Bermuda and "penny poker nights" where Betsy's kids would revel in the mountain of pennies tossed under the dining room table for them to find the next morning. They had a traditional Christmas cookie and goodie exchange. Betsy would get out the meat grinder every December, attach it to the kitchen table, and the kids loved helping her grind up oranges for her homemade orange marmalade. Betsy would surround the jar of marmalade with her molasses cookies and almond cookies and the cookie exchange would begin, much to her children's delight.
Once the kids started school, Betsy returned to work as a lab technician and microbiologist at Needham's Glover Hospital, Newton Wellesley Hospital and then at Harvard Medical Center. Jennifer and Jeff recall how proud they were of their 'essential worker' mom when during the 1978 blizzard which paralyzed New England, only essential workers were allowed to be on the roads lined with 10-foot snow banks. Essential worker Betsy navigated the snow banked roads back and forth to Boston's Harvard Medical Center.
Betsy was a fabulous organizer, as witnessed by the frequent summer family camping trips with Betsy organizing the food and provisions while Frank packed the tent trailer with precision. Camping trips were always an "advencha" as Betsy and Frank would say, adopting her Boston accent.
Betsy planned fun family vacations. In 1975 she gave the family a houseboat vacation on Lake Champlain. It was memorable not only because it was unusual, but because it was during a heatwave and the year of the movie Jaws. No matter how much convincing Betsy tried, 10 year old son Jeff would not stick even his big toe in the refreshing lake water for fear of a great white shark.
East Brewster on Cape Cod Bay was the site of a weathered shingle house on the beach which Betsy and Frank and her parents would rent every August to have a family vacation together with the 3 generations. Betsy would lather up the kids with sunscreen and they'd all walk out onto the Brewster flats when the tide went out. One summer the family encountered giant sea clams as big as their feet. Excitedly, they scooped up as many as their beach pails would hold, and proudly brought them back to the beach where the shellfish warden just happened to be waiting. "Look at these!", they shouted, to which the warden replied "Let's look at your shellfish license". A court date was set and Betsy and the kids tried to convince Frank to plead insanity. Instead he pleaded 'Nolo' and the fine was paid. A shellfish license was procured every year after that.
Once the kids left the nest, Betsy and Frank moved to historic Duxbury. Betsy was a microbiologist at Battelle Marine Laboratories focusing on oceanographic research, while Frank was a beloved guidance counselor in the Duxbury School system. They spent time sailing in Duxbury harbor and beyond, although Betsy always joked that they'd get becalmed whenever she was on the boat. She'd ask Frank to whistle up a wind as he was a most talented whistler. They were active in the Duxbury Historical Society and Betsy was active in the Community Garden Club.
After retiring, Betsy and Frank became Habitat for Humanity "Care-A-Vanners", purchasing a small travel trailer and traveling south in the winter to work on a Habitat build for 2 weeks, then they'd explore the area for 2 weeks on their way to the next Habitat 2-week build. They'd head south each January, then head west, and on the way back to the northeast they'd enjoy seeing the first spring blossoms all along the extended trip.
Betsy and Frank moved to a 55+ golf course community in Mashpee when they turned 70, which became their new vibrant friend and church community. Betsy was an enthusiastic organizer and volunteer for social events, enjoying early morning walks with girlfriends around the golf course and volunteering for church and community events. She and Frank volunteered as local election workers during every November election.
In their mid 80's they decided to move to independent senior living and found a great spot in West Yarmouth after visiting many senior living locations up and down the north and south Shore of Boston and Cape Cod. Frank always rated them based on how good the 'free' lunches were for prospective residents, and they finally found one good enough for daughter Jennifer to join them for lunch. Their son Jeff and wife Pam moved from Georgia to Plymouth to be near Betsy and Frank, and the senior living residence was located in-between daughter Jennifer's and son Jeff's homes, so they enjoyed lots of family times and adventures together. Betsy was an enthusiastic walker and during Covid discovered many beautiful beaches and boardwalks to stroll on both the bay and ocean side of the Cape with daughter Jennifer and son Jeff.
Betsy's first love was always her family. She and Frank had lots of fun with their kids and grandkids. She was the Mom/Grandma who led noisy parades throughout the house, made green scrambled eggs on Saint Patrick's Day, started new family traditions like the Peppermint Pig, and comfortingly said "Somehow it always gets done" and "Make sure you have a bit of fun every day."
Betsy and Frank were role models for their children Jennifer and Jeffrey, who always wanted to grow up to be as kind and giving and positive as they were.
Betsy was predeceased by her sister Jean and beloved husband Frank and is survived and celebrated by daughter Jennifer Blum and husband Jonathan of Edgartown, son Jeff Lord and wife Pamela Lord of Plymouth, and six very special grandchildren: Andrew Blum (wife Amanda Blum), Christopher Blum, Matthew Lord, Michael Lord (wife Allie Lord), Mason Lord, and Madison Elizabeth "Lord" Olson (husband Paul Olson).
A private family burial gathering will be held at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, MA.
A gathering for family and friends to toast Betsy's long and joy-filled life will be held on Saturday, November 4th at 2-4pm at The Popponesset Inn in Mashpee, MA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Betsy's name may be made to the VNA of Cape Cod Hospice at 25 Communication Way, Hyannis MA 02601 or to the Mashpee Congregational Church at PO Box 1796, Mashpee MA 02649, or to a charity of your choice.
Betsy was a skilled Laboratory Technician and Microbiologist at many hospitals including Harvard Medical Center and at labs including Battelle Marine Research. She volunteered to help build over 250 Habitat for Humanity Homes with her husband Frank, first earning the nickname 'Bent Nail Betsy' and then proudly earning the nickname 'Bobcat Betsy' after learning to operate a bobcat loader to transport building materials. (Everyone was envious of that nickname). She was a volunteer for her church wherever she lived and also at Plimouth Plantation, Meals on Wheels, and many soup kitchens.
Born June 19, 1932, in Newton MA, she was always getting into good trouble, like tracing the lines of the family dining room carpet with a tube of toothpaste before her parents' dinner guests would arrive. She met the love of her life, Frank Lord, in 7th grade. She said his corduroy knickers would squeak as he walked by, and she loved the smell of his Vaseline Hair Tonic. She was his "5 foot two, eyes of blue" sweetheart with a bubbly personality.
Betsy and Frank headed off to different colleges. Betsy attended Westbrook Junior College in Maine while Frank attended Brown University on a full naval ROTC scholarship. He wore his dress officer uniforms to Betsy's college dances. After graduating, Betsy completed the Newton Wellesley Hospital Medical Technician program in 1953 and became a laboratory technician, while Frank completed his naval officer training on a battleship and a destroyer in the Atlantic and then served 3 years of active duty in the Pacific.
Betsy and Frank were married in 1958 and went on a double honeymoon to Bermuda with Betsy's best friend since birth, Sally, and her new husband, Bill. The two couples were lifelong friends and traveled every year together.
Betsy and Frank began married life in Brookline MA. Betsy worked at Leary Labs while Frank was in the Naval Reserve and attended grad school at Boston University. They moved to Lexington MA for a teaching position for Frank, and daughter Jennifer was born. Betsy and Frank took an extended summer trip through Europe, with Jennifer in a baby carrier on Frank's back with a loaf of French bread to gum. Betsy and Frank's love of travel together over the years took them to many countries and continents. After son Jeffrey was born, they moved to Needham.
A terrific group of fun loving friends in Needham kept Betsy and Frank busy. There were family cook outs and dinner dances, vacations to Bermuda and "penny poker nights" where Betsy's kids would revel in the mountain of pennies tossed under the dining room table for them to find the next morning. They had a traditional Christmas cookie and goodie exchange. Betsy would get out the meat grinder every December, attach it to the kitchen table, and the kids loved helping her grind up oranges for her homemade orange marmalade. Betsy would surround the jar of marmalade with her molasses cookies and almond cookies and the cookie exchange would begin, much to her children's delight.
Once the kids started school, Betsy returned to work as a lab technician and microbiologist at Needham's Glover Hospital, Newton Wellesley Hospital and then at Harvard Medical Center. Jennifer and Jeff recall how proud they were of their 'essential worker' mom when during the 1978 blizzard which paralyzed New England, only essential workers were allowed to be on the roads lined with 10-foot snow banks. Essential worker Betsy navigated the snow banked roads back and forth to Boston's Harvard Medical Center.
Betsy was a fabulous organizer, as witnessed by the frequent summer family camping trips with Betsy organizing the food and provisions while Frank packed the tent trailer with precision. Camping trips were always an "advencha" as Betsy and Frank would say, adopting her Boston accent.
Betsy planned fun family vacations. In 1975 she gave the family a houseboat vacation on Lake Champlain. It was memorable not only because it was unusual, but because it was during a heatwave and the year of the movie Jaws. No matter how much convincing Betsy tried, 10 year old son Jeff would not stick even his big toe in the refreshing lake water for fear of a great white shark.
East Brewster on Cape Cod Bay was the site of a weathered shingle house on the beach which Betsy and Frank and her parents would rent every August to have a family vacation together with the 3 generations. Betsy would lather up the kids with sunscreen and they'd all walk out onto the Brewster flats when the tide went out. One summer the family encountered giant sea clams as big as their feet. Excitedly, they scooped up as many as their beach pails would hold, and proudly brought them back to the beach where the shellfish warden just happened to be waiting. "Look at these!", they shouted, to which the warden replied "Let's look at your shellfish license". A court date was set and Betsy and the kids tried to convince Frank to plead insanity. Instead he pleaded 'Nolo' and the fine was paid. A shellfish license was procured every year after that.
Once the kids left the nest, Betsy and Frank moved to historic Duxbury. Betsy was a microbiologist at Battelle Marine Laboratories focusing on oceanographic research, while Frank was a beloved guidance counselor in the Duxbury School system. They spent time sailing in Duxbury harbor and beyond, although Betsy always joked that they'd get becalmed whenever she was on the boat. She'd ask Frank to whistle up a wind as he was a most talented whistler. They were active in the Duxbury Historical Society and Betsy was active in the Community Garden Club.
After retiring, Betsy and Frank became Habitat for Humanity "Care-A-Vanners", purchasing a small travel trailer and traveling south in the winter to work on a Habitat build for 2 weeks, then they'd explore the area for 2 weeks on their way to the next Habitat 2-week build. They'd head south each January, then head west, and on the way back to the northeast they'd enjoy seeing the first spring blossoms all along the extended trip.
Betsy and Frank moved to a 55+ golf course community in Mashpee when they turned 70, which became their new vibrant friend and church community. Betsy was an enthusiastic organizer and volunteer for social events, enjoying early morning walks with girlfriends around the golf course and volunteering for church and community events. She and Frank volunteered as local election workers during every November election.
In their mid 80's they decided to move to independent senior living and found a great spot in West Yarmouth after visiting many senior living locations up and down the north and south Shore of Boston and Cape Cod. Frank always rated them based on how good the 'free' lunches were for prospective residents, and they finally found one good enough for daughter Jennifer to join them for lunch. Their son Jeff and wife Pam moved from Georgia to Plymouth to be near Betsy and Frank, and the senior living residence was located in-between daughter Jennifer's and son Jeff's homes, so they enjoyed lots of family times and adventures together. Betsy was an enthusiastic walker and during Covid discovered many beautiful beaches and boardwalks to stroll on both the bay and ocean side of the Cape with daughter Jennifer and son Jeff.
Betsy's first love was always her family. She and Frank had lots of fun with their kids and grandkids. She was the Mom/Grandma who led noisy parades throughout the house, made green scrambled eggs on Saint Patrick's Day, started new family traditions like the Peppermint Pig, and comfortingly said "Somehow it always gets done" and "Make sure you have a bit of fun every day."
Betsy and Frank were role models for their children Jennifer and Jeffrey, who always wanted to grow up to be as kind and giving and positive as they were.
Betsy was predeceased by her sister Jean and beloved husband Frank and is survived and celebrated by daughter Jennifer Blum and husband Jonathan of Edgartown, son Jeff Lord and wife Pamela Lord of Plymouth, and six very special grandchildren: Andrew Blum (wife Amanda Blum), Christopher Blum, Matthew Lord, Michael Lord (wife Allie Lord), Mason Lord, and Madison Elizabeth "Lord" Olson (husband Paul Olson).
A private family burial gathering will be held at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, MA.
A gathering for family and friends to toast Betsy's long and joy-filled life will be held on Saturday, November 4th at 2-4pm at The Popponesset Inn in Mashpee, MA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Betsy's name may be made to the VNA of Cape Cod Hospice at 25 Communication Way, Hyannis MA 02601 or to the Mashpee Congregational Church at PO Box 1796, Mashpee MA 02649, or to a charity of your choice.
Betsy Lord brought the fun to any situation or gathering. She was witty and her quick replies made us all laugh.
Betsy was a skilled Laboratory Technician and Microbiologist at many hospitals including Harvard Medical Center and at labs including Battelle Marine Research. She volunteered to help build over 250 Habitat for Humanity Homes with her husband Frank, first earning the nickname 'Bent Nail Betsy' and then proudly earning the nickname 'Bobcat Betsy' after learning to operate a bobcat loader to transport building materials. (Everyone was envious of that nickname). She was a volunteer for her church wherever she lived and also at Plimouth Plantation, Meals on Wheels, and many soup kitchens.
Born June 19, 1932, in Newton MA, she was always getting into good trouble, like tracing the lines of the family dining room carpet with a tube of toothpaste before her parents' dinner guests would arrive. She met the love of her life, Frank Lord, in 7th grade. She said his corduroy knickers would squeak as he walked by, and she loved the smell of his Vaseline Hair Tonic. She was his "5 foot two, eyes of blue" sweetheart with a bubbly personality.
Betsy and Frank headed off to different colleges. Betsy attended Westbrook Junior College in Maine while Frank attended Brown University on a full naval ROTC scholarship. He wore his dress officer uniforms to Betsy's college dances. After graduating, Betsy completed the Newton Wellesley Hospital Medical Technician program in 1953 and became a laboratory technician, while Frank completed his naval officer training on a battleship and a destroyer in the Atlantic and then served 3 years of active duty in the Pacific.
Betsy and Frank were married in 1958 and went on a double honeymoon to Bermuda with Betsy's best friend since birth, Sally, and her new husband, Bill. The two couples were lifelong friends and traveled every year together.
Betsy and Frank began married life in Brookline MA. Betsy worked at Leary Labs while Frank was in the Naval Reserve and attended grad school at Boston University. They moved to Lexington MA for a teaching position for Frank, and daughter Jennifer was born. Betsy and Frank took an extended summer trip through Europe, with Jennifer in a baby carrier on Frank's back with a loaf of French bread to gum. Betsy and Frank's love of travel together over the years took them to many countries and continents. After son Jeffrey was born, they moved to Needham.
A terrific group of fun loving friends in Needham kept Betsy and Frank busy. There were family cook outs and dinner dances, vacations to Bermuda and "penny poker nights" where Betsy's kids would revel in the mountain of pennies tossed under the dining room table for them to find the next morning. They had a traditional Christmas cookie and goodie exchange. Betsy would get out the meat grinder every December, attach it to the kitchen table, and the kids loved helping her grind up oranges for her homemade orange marmalade. Betsy would surround the jar of marmalade with her molasses cookies and almond cookies and the cookie exchange would begin, much to her children's delight.
Once the kids started school, Betsy returned to work as a lab technician and microbiologist at Needham's Glover Hospital, Newton Wellesley Hospital and then at Harvard Medical Center. Jennifer and Jeff recall how proud they were of their 'essential worker' mom when during the 1978 blizzard which paralyzed New England, only essential workers were allowed to be on the roads lined with 10-foot snow banks. Essential worker Betsy navigated the snow banked roads back and forth to Boston's Harvard Medical Center.
Betsy was a fabulous organizer, as witnessed by the frequent summer family camping trips with Betsy organizing the food and provisions while Frank packed the tent trailer with precision. Camping trips were always an "advencha" as Betsy and Frank would say, adopting her Boston accent.
Betsy planned fun family vacations. In 1975 she gave the family a houseboat vacation on Lake Champlain. It was memorable not only because it was unusual, but because it was during a heatwave and the year of the movie Jaws. No matter how much convincing Betsy tried, 10 year old son Jeff would not stick even his big toe in the refreshing lake water for fear of a great white shark.
East Brewster on Cape Cod Bay was the site of a weathered shingle house on the beach which Betsy and Frank and her parents would rent every August to have a family vacation together with the 3 generations. Betsy would lather up the kids with sunscreen and they'd all walk out onto the Brewster flats when the tide went out. One summer the family encountered giant sea clams as big as their feet. Excitedly, they scooped up as many as their beach pails would hold, and proudly brought them back to the beach where the shellfish warden just happened to be waiting. "Look at these!", they shouted, to which the warden replied "Let's look at your shellfish license". A court date was set and Betsy and the kids tried to convince Frank to plead insanity. Instead he pleaded 'Nolo' and the fine was paid. A shellfish license was procured every year after that.
Once the kids left the nest, Betsy and Frank moved to historic Duxbury. Betsy was a microbiologist at Battelle Marine Laboratories focusing on oceanographic research, while Frank was a beloved guidance counselor in the Duxbury School system. They spent time sailing in Duxbury harbor and beyond, although Betsy always joked that they'd get becalmed whenever she was on the boat. She'd ask Frank to whistle up a wind as he was a most talented whistler. They were active in the Duxbury Historical Society and Betsy was active in the Community Garden Club.
After retiring, Betsy and Frank became Habitat for Humanity "Care-A-Vanners", purchasing a small travel trailer and traveling south in the winter to work on a Habitat build for 2 weeks, then they'd explore the area for 2 weeks on their way to the next Habitat 2-week build. They'd head south each January, then head west, and on the way back to the northeast they'd enjoy seeing the first spring blossoms all along the extended trip.
Betsy and Frank moved to a 55+ golf course community in Mashpee when they turned 70, which became their new vibrant friend and church community. Betsy was an enthusiastic organizer and volunteer for social events, enjoying early morning walks with girlfriends around the golf course and volunteering for church and community events. She and Frank volunteered as local election workers during every November election.
In their mid 80's they decided to move to independent senior living and found a great spot in West Yarmouth after visiting many senior living locations up and down the north and south Shore of Boston and Cape Cod. Frank always rated them based on how good the 'free' lunches were for prospective residents, and they finally found one good enough for daughter Jennifer to join them for lunch. Their son Jeff and wife Pam moved from Georgia to Plymouth to be near Betsy and Frank, and the senior living residence was located in-between daughter Jennifer's and son Jeff's homes, so they enjoyed lots of family times and adventures together. Betsy was an enthusiastic walker and during Covid discovered many beautiful beaches and boardwalks to stroll on both the bay and ocean side of the Cape with daughter Jennifer and son Jeff.
Betsy's first love was always her family. She and Frank had lots of fun with their kids and grandkids. She was the Mom/Grandma who led noisy parades throughout the house, made green scrambled eggs on Saint Patrick's Day, started new family traditions like the Peppermint Pig, and comfortingly said "Somehow it always gets done" and "Make sure you have a bit of fun every day."
Betsy and Frank were role models for their children Jennifer and Jeffrey, who always wanted to grow up to be as kind and giving and positive as they were.
Betsy was predeceased by her sister Jean and beloved husband Frank and is survived and celebrated by daughter Jennifer Blum and husband Jonathan of Edgartown, son Jeff Lord and wife Pamela Lord of Plymouth, and six very special grandchildren: Andrew Blum (wife Amanda Blum), Christopher Blum, Matthew Lord, Michael Lord (wife Allie Lord), Mason Lord, and Madison Elizabeth "Lord" Olson (husband Paul Olson).
A private family burial gathering will be held at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, MA.
A gathering for family and friends to toast Betsy's long and joy-filled life will be held on Saturday, November 4th at 2-4pm at The Popponesset Inn in Mashpee, MA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Betsy's name may be made to the VNA of Cape Cod Hospice at 25 Communication Way, Hyannis MA 02601 or to the Mashpee Congregational Church at PO Box 1796, Mashpee MA 02649, or to a charity of your choice.
Betsy was a skilled Laboratory Technician and Microbiologist at many hospitals including Harvard Medical Center and at labs including Battelle Marine Research. She volunteered to help build over 250 Habitat for Humanity Homes with her husband Frank, first earning the nickname 'Bent Nail Betsy' and then proudly earning the nickname 'Bobcat Betsy' after learning to operate a bobcat loader to transport building materials. (Everyone was envious of that nickname). She was a volunteer for her church wherever she lived and also at Plimouth Plantation, Meals on Wheels, and many soup kitchens.
Born June 19, 1932, in Newton MA, she was always getting into good trouble, like tracing the lines of the family dining room carpet with a tube of toothpaste before her parents' dinner guests would arrive. She met the love of her life, Frank Lord, in 7th grade. She said his corduroy knickers would squeak as he walked by, and she loved the smell of his Vaseline Hair Tonic. She was his "5 foot two, eyes of blue" sweetheart with a bubbly personality.
Betsy and Frank headed off to different colleges. Betsy attended Westbrook Junior College in Maine while Frank attended Brown University on a full naval ROTC scholarship. He wore his dress officer uniforms to Betsy's college dances. After graduating, Betsy completed the Newton Wellesley Hospital Medical Technician program in 1953 and became a laboratory technician, while Frank completed his naval officer training on a battleship and a destroyer in the Atlantic and then served 3 years of active duty in the Pacific.
Betsy and Frank were married in 1958 and went on a double honeymoon to Bermuda with Betsy's best friend since birth, Sally, and her new husband, Bill. The two couples were lifelong friends and traveled every year together.
Betsy and Frank began married life in Brookline MA. Betsy worked at Leary Labs while Frank was in the Naval Reserve and attended grad school at Boston University. They moved to Lexington MA for a teaching position for Frank, and daughter Jennifer was born. Betsy and Frank took an extended summer trip through Europe, with Jennifer in a baby carrier on Frank's back with a loaf of French bread to gum. Betsy and Frank's love of travel together over the years took them to many countries and continents. After son Jeffrey was born, they moved to Needham.
A terrific group of fun loving friends in Needham kept Betsy and Frank busy. There were family cook outs and dinner dances, vacations to Bermuda and "penny poker nights" where Betsy's kids would revel in the mountain of pennies tossed under the dining room table for them to find the next morning. They had a traditional Christmas cookie and goodie exchange. Betsy would get out the meat grinder every December, attach it to the kitchen table, and the kids loved helping her grind up oranges for her homemade orange marmalade. Betsy would surround the jar of marmalade with her molasses cookies and almond cookies and the cookie exchange would begin, much to her children's delight.
Once the kids started school, Betsy returned to work as a lab technician and microbiologist at Needham's Glover Hospital, Newton Wellesley Hospital and then at Harvard Medical Center. Jennifer and Jeff recall how proud they were of their 'essential worker' mom when during the 1978 blizzard which paralyzed New England, only essential workers were allowed to be on the roads lined with 10-foot snow banks. Essential worker Betsy navigated the snow banked roads back and forth to Boston's Harvard Medical Center.
Betsy was a fabulous organizer, as witnessed by the frequent summer family camping trips with Betsy organizing the food and provisions while Frank packed the tent trailer with precision. Camping trips were always an "advencha" as Betsy and Frank would say, adopting her Boston accent.
Betsy planned fun family vacations. In 1975 she gave the family a houseboat vacation on Lake Champlain. It was memorable not only because it was unusual, but because it was during a heatwave and the year of the movie Jaws. No matter how much convincing Betsy tried, 10 year old son Jeff would not stick even his big toe in the refreshing lake water for fear of a great white shark.
East Brewster on Cape Cod Bay was the site of a weathered shingle house on the beach which Betsy and Frank and her parents would rent every August to have a family vacation together with the 3 generations. Betsy would lather up the kids with sunscreen and they'd all walk out onto the Brewster flats when the tide went out. One summer the family encountered giant sea clams as big as their feet. Excitedly, they scooped up as many as their beach pails would hold, and proudly brought them back to the beach where the shellfish warden just happened to be waiting. "Look at these!", they shouted, to which the warden replied "Let's look at your shellfish license". A court date was set and Betsy and the kids tried to convince Frank to plead insanity. Instead he pleaded 'Nolo' and the fine was paid. A shellfish license was procured every year after that.
Once the kids left the nest, Betsy and Frank moved to historic Duxbury. Betsy was a microbiologist at Battelle Marine Laboratories focusing on oceanographic research, while Frank was a beloved guidance counselor in the Duxbury School system. They spent time sailing in Duxbury harbor and beyond, although Betsy always joked that they'd get becalmed whenever she was on the boat. She'd ask Frank to whistle up a wind as he was a most talented whistler. They were active in the Duxbury Historical Society and Betsy was active in the Community Garden Club.
After retiring, Betsy and Frank became Habitat for Humanity "Care-A-Vanners", purchasing a small travel trailer and traveling south in the winter to work on a Habitat build for 2 weeks, then they'd explore the area for 2 weeks on their way to the next Habitat 2-week build. They'd head south each January, then head west, and on the way back to the northeast they'd enjoy seeing the first spring blossoms all along the extended trip.
Betsy and Frank moved to a 55+ golf course community in Mashpee when they turned 70, which became their new vibrant friend and church community. Betsy was an enthusiastic organizer and volunteer for social events, enjoying early morning walks with girlfriends around the golf course and volunteering for church and community events. She and Frank volunteered as local election workers during every November election.
In their mid 80's they decided to move to independent senior living and found a great spot in West Yarmouth after visiting many senior living locations up and down the north and south Shore of Boston and Cape Cod. Frank always rated them based on how good the 'free' lunches were for prospective residents, and they finally found one good enough for daughter Jennifer to join them for lunch. Their son Jeff and wife Pam moved from Georgia to Plymouth to be near Betsy and Frank, and the senior living residence was located in-between daughter Jennifer's and son Jeff's homes, so they enjoyed lots of family times and adventures together. Betsy was an enthusiastic walker and during Covid discovered many beautiful beaches and boardwalks to stroll on both the bay and ocean side of the Cape with daughter Jennifer and son Jeff.
Betsy's first love was always her family. She and Frank had lots of fun with their kids and grandkids. She was the Mom/Grandma who led noisy parades throughout the house, made green scrambled eggs on Saint Patrick's Day, started new family traditions like the Peppermint Pig, and comfortingly said "Somehow it always gets done" and "Make sure you have a bit of fun every day."
Betsy and Frank were role models for their children Jennifer and Jeffrey, who always wanted to grow up to be as kind and giving and positive as they were.
Betsy was predeceased by her sister Jean and beloved husband Frank and is survived and celebrated by daughter Jennifer Blum and husband Jonathan of Edgartown, son Jeff Lord and wife Pamela Lord of Plymouth, and six very special grandchildren: Andrew Blum (wife Amanda Blum), Christopher Blum, Matthew Lord, Michael Lord (wife Allie Lord), Mason Lord, and Madison Elizabeth "Lord" Olson (husband Paul Olson).
A private family burial gathering will be held at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, MA.
A gathering for family and friends to toast Betsy's long and joy-filled life will be held on Saturday, November 4th at 2-4pm at The Popponesset Inn in Mashpee, MA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Betsy's name may be made to the VNA of Cape Cod Hospice at 25 Communication Way, Hyannis MA 02601 or to the Mashpee Congregational Church at PO Box 1796, Mashpee MA 02649, or to a charity of your choice.
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