Respite caregiver was always available to help and counsel
Caregiver, friend, gardener and lover of animals, Betsy will be missed by family and friends alike. She passed away on May 20, 2023. This past March, Betsy’s family and a few friends were thrilled to celebrate her 70th birthday with her in Burlington. Betsy was a great friend, sister, aunt and loving caretaker to many of those in need in the Burlington area. She loved camping, as well as being a “parent” to her dachshunds (plus other dogs) and cats. She was the important Aunt Betsy to five nieces and nephews, who loved her dearly: Bryan Preston, Melissa Preston, Devon Preston, Julia Preston and Jocelyn Blier. She brought together her siblings, Sandy, Suzanne and Wright, in the care of their parents, Bill and Janet Preston, at the end of their lives. Her brothers and sister are indebted to her for this and so much more. Betsy wore her hair short throughout most of her life, and for everyone who knew her she was larger than life. For any problem one had, she was there to help or counsel. “Sit right here,” she would say. She loved reading and made a point to pass her books and preferences on to others. She loved the beauty of small things and took great pleasure in driving a stylish car — from a VW to a Jeep to a Cube — both long distances and shorter ones. She often chose to adopt older animals, loving them in many ways until it was their time to pass on. Betsy loved the sun. When the weather was “right,” she would set up a chair near the beautiful garden she created behind her Colchester home, adorned with a blend of annuals, perennials, and an array of the beautifully crafted iron and ceramic figures she loved to collect. She also loved making things — photo albums, embroidery and ceramics, among other crafts. It was Betsy who gardened the gravesite of her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents at Burlington’s Lakeview Cemetery, adding beautiful perennials to a place where now she’ll also rest forever. Betsy graduated from Burlington High School and went on to earn a degree from Champlain College, then a BA in anthropology and sociology from Roger Williams College in Rhode Island. She later earned her master’s degree in education administration from the University of Vermont. She held many administrative positions over her wonderful life, from St…
Respite caregiver was always available to help and counsel
Caregiver, friend, gardener and lover of animals, Betsy will be missed by family and friends alike. She passed away on May 20, 2023. This past March, Betsy’s family and a few friends were thrilled to celebrate her 70th birthday with her in Burlington. Betsy was a great friend, sister, aunt and loving caretaker to many of those in need in the Burlington area. She loved camping, as well as being a “parent” to her dachshunds (plus other dogs) and cats. She was the important Aunt Betsy to five nieces and nephews, who loved her dearly: Bryan Preston, Melissa Preston, Devon Preston, Julia Preston and Jocelyn Blier. She brought together her siblings, Sandy, Suzanne and Wright, in the care of their parents, Bill and Janet Preston, at the end of their lives. Her brothers and sister are indebted to her for this and so much more. Betsy wore her hair short throughout most of her life, and for everyone who knew her she was larger than life. For any problem one had, she was there to help or counsel. “Sit right here,” she would say. She loved reading and made a point to pass her books and preferences on to others. She loved the beauty of small things and took great pleasure in driving a stylish car — from a VW to a Jeep to a Cube — both long distances and shorter ones. She often chose to adopt older animals, loving them in many ways until it was their time to pass on. Betsy loved the sun. When the weather was “right,” she would set up a chair near the beautiful garden she created behind her Colchester home, adorned with a blend of annuals, perennials, and an array of the beautifully crafted iron and ceramic figures she loved to collect. She also loved making things — photo albums, embroidery and ceramics, among other crafts. It was Betsy who gardened the gravesite of her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents at Burlington’s Lakeview Cemetery, adding beautiful perennials to a place where now she’ll also rest forever. Betsy graduated from Burlington High School and went on to earn a degree from Champlain College, then a BA in anthropology and sociology from Roger Williams College in Rhode Island. She later earned her master’s degree in education administration from the University of Vermont. She held many administrative positions over her wonderful life, from St…
