In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that we learned on February 2, 2011, about the death of our dear member, Betsy Gentry. She had been ill for a number of weeks and was hospitalized at St. Raphael’s. During this time there were days when her family felt hopeful, noting signs of improvement, but , alas, at the very end of January, her condition deteriorated rapidly and she died in the hospital, surrounded by her husband, Buck, her children, and grandchildren.

Betsy was a member of our Club since 1988. During her 23 years she served on many committees and held many offices, bringing her love of gardening, her horticultural knowledge, and her artistic skills to everything that she did. She was a welcoming mentor to many of us and an encouraging and dear friend. We will all miss her keen intellect, her optimistic outlook, her grace and her tact but will cherish (among many other things) those memories of warm cups of tea, of transplanting hosta, of casting concrete trough gardens, of entering garden shows, and of holiday bazaars filled with her amazing needlework creations, her painted trays, and her delicious baked goods.

The family is planning a memorial service for Betsy – a Celebration of Life – at the New Haven Lawn Club on Sunday, April 17^th from 1-5 pm and welcomes all of Betsy’s fellow-gardeners.