Elizabeth McGregor Deason, known as Betsy, died in Bennington, Vt. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016.
She was born Oct. 29, 1921, in Norwalk, Conn., the youngest of four children of The Rev. …
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Elizabeth McGregor Deason, known as Betsy, died in Bennington, Vt. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016.
She was born Oct. 29, 1921, in Norwalk, Conn., the youngest of four children of The Rev. Ernest F. and Gertrude E. McGregor. Betsy graduated from Hillside School in Norwalk (1939) and Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, with a B.A. (1943) and M.A. (1945) in zoology.
She taught as a zoology instructor at Mount Holyoke, and then continued her education at the University of Minnesota, where she met her husband, John M. Deason. She taught biology at Hunter College, NY, before assuming the role of minister’s wife and eventually mother of five daughters. During those years they lived in Portville, NY; Northport, NY; and Rockford, Illinois.
Later in life, she earned a M.A.T. from Rockford College (1974), and taught students with learning disabilities at The Gordon School, living in Barrington for 31 years.
Betsy was proud to have reached her 95th year and, as the last surviving member of her generation, she was honored as the family matriarch by her extended family, including 13 surviving nieces and nephews. She enjoyed singing in choirs, knitting, reading, gardening, and her Scots heritage.
Betsy is survived by her five daughters: Ellen Elizabeth Deason of Columbus, Ohio, Kathryn Louise Frieden of Manchester, N.H., Anne Meredith Dayanandan of Chennai, India, Marion Ruth Jackson of Merritt Island, Fla. and Brunswick, Maine, and Jean Martha Culver of Williamstown, Mass.; four sons-in-law; and 10 grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Nature Conservancy http://www.nature.org in Betsy’s memory.