Betsy Preston Death, Obituary- Betsy, who was a wonderful caregiver, friend, gardener, and animal lover, will be greatly missed by both her family and her friends. The 20th of May, 2023 was the day she went away. Betsy’s loved ones and a few close friends were overjoyed to be able to spend her 70th birthday in Burlington with her earlier this year in March. Betsy was a wonderful friend, sister, aunt, and compassionate caregiver to many people in the Burlington region who were in need of assistance.
She enjoyed hiking and being a “parent” to her dachshunds, along with her other dogs and cats. She also liked to go camping. She was a beloved Aunt Betsy to her five nieces and nephews, who are as follows: Bryan Preston, Melissa Preston, Devon Preston, Julia Preston, and Jocelyn Blier. All of them loved her very much. At the end of their lives, she gathered her three siblings, Sandy, Suzanne, and Wright, under the care of their parents, Bill and Janet Preston. Her brother and sister owe her a tremendous amount of gratitude, not only for this but also for a lot of other things.
Betsy had her hair cut short for the most of her life, and in the eyes of everyone who knew her, she seemed to loom larger than life. She was there to help or counsel anyone with any issue that they were facing. “Sit right here,” she would urge repeatedly. She was a voracious reader who made it a point to recommend her favourite authors and titles to whoever would listen. She appreciated the aesthetic value of the minutiae of life and found great joy in cruising around in a nice vehicle, whether it was a VW, a Jeep, or a Cube.
She drove both long and short distances with equal enthusiasm. She frequently decided to adopt senior animals, and she loved them in many different ways up until the time came for them to pass away. Betsy was a sun worshipper. She would place a chair beside the lovely garden she had designed and cultivated in the backyard of her home in Colchester whenever the conditions were “just right.
The garden had a mixture of annuals and perennials as well as an assortment of the exquisitely carved iron and ceramic figurines that she cherished collecting. In addition to that, she enjoyed crafting things for herself, such as photo books, embroidered items, and ceramics, among other crafts. Betsy was the one who tended the garden at the gravestone of her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents in Burlington’s Lakeview Cemetery. She added lovely perennials to the space, which will now serve as the final resting place for both her and her family.
Betsy attended Burlington High School, where she earned her diploma, and went on to acquire a degree from Champlain College. After that, she attended Roger Williams College in Rhode Island, where she received a BA in anthropology and sociology. After that, she attended the University of Vermont to acquire a master’s degree in education administration from that institution. Throughout her amazing life, she worked in a variety of administrative capacities, including stints at St. Michael’s College, the University of Vermont, and Mary Fletcher Hospital.
Serving as a caregiver, either during the day, at night, or both, for elderly people who were nearing the end of their life at the Converse Home in Burlington and, more recently, at the UVM McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, was by far her most rewarding experience. She was surrounded by her loving family, friends, and the many employees with whom she had worked to deliver the greatest care to others during the final days of her life, which she spent at the Respite House following a brief struggle with advanced cancer.
She had been fighting the disease for some time. In particular, we would like to extend our gratitude to Betsy’s good friend Stevie Spaulding for the companionship and care that she provided during the final days that Betsy spent at the Respite House. Born on March 10, 1953, Betsy Preston was the second daughter of William and Janet Preston. She is survived by her siblings and their partners, Sandy and Nancy of Halfmoon, New York, Suzanne and Rudy of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Wright and Cindy of Richmond, Vermont; her nephew and nieces.
Bryan and Beth of Chicago, Illinois, Melissa and Gordon of Waterford, Virginia, Jocelyn and Keyman of Washington, District of Columbia, Devon of New York City, and Julia and Chris of Shelburne
Betsy’s life will be commemorated with a party on July 22, 2023, at 10 a.m. in the garden at Holy Cross Senior Housing, which can be found at 468 Church Rd. in Colchester, Vermont. If you would like to make a donation in Betsy’s honour, you may want to consider sending a cheque to either the McClure Miller Respite House, located at 3113 Roosevelt Highway, Colchester, Vermont 05446, or the UVM Home Health & Hospice VNA programs.
Betsy, who was a wonderful caregiver, friend, gardener, and animal lover, will be greatly missed by both her family and her friends. The 20th of May, 2023 was the day she went away. Betsy’s life will be commemorated with a party on July 22, 2023, at 10 a.m.
In the garden at Holy Cross Senior Housing, which can be found at 468 Church Rd. in Colchester, Vermont.