Betty Jeszeck

Elizabeth Ellen Dacey Jeszeck passed away at the age of 99 on October 16, 2023 in Seattle, WA. She always went by "Betty" and was born on March 10, 1924 in Chicago, IL to John Dacey and Margaret Hartford Dacey.

Betty had an older sister, Mary Dacey Luchitz. Betty and Mary, or Bet and Mar as they called each other, attended and graduated from Notre Dame Catholic High School for Girls in Chicago. They were very close and spoke by phone nearly every day until Mary passed away in 2015 at age 93.

Betty met Joseph Cobden Jeszeck in 1944. Joe served in the Navy during WW2 aboard ship in the Pacific. Betty
and Joe married, had 5 children and settled in Wawarsing, NY. Betty and her family lost Joe on April 28, 1970 in Vietnam as he served in the US Air Force.

Betty went back to school and earned her nursing certification at Ulster County Community College and a few years later she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Goddard College in 1981. Betty worked as a Registered Nurse at Ellenville Hospital and Kingston Hospital for many years. Betty also worked in Substance Abuse and Hospice.

After she retired, Betty continued to volunteer with Hospice and with her home parish of St. Mary's and St. Andrew's in Ellenville where she faithfully attended mass for over 50 years. Betty was a prolific writer and poet in retirement with several published works available on Amazon. Family occasions and milestones of loved ones were often blessed by a newly composed poem from Betty filled with insight and warmth.

Betty lived a fiercely independent life. She was driving her car until she was 95. In December 2019 Betty moved cross country to live near her son Joe in Seattle. This was shortly before the Covid pandemic. Despite her facility going into quarantine Betty lived pretty independently for the next three years. Joe and his family would come often for visits that usually included singing some songs and she enjoyed frequent FaceTime visits with her other children.

Betty sang in church choirs most of her life and singing was often part of family gatherings. Her YouTube channel, @grandmabettyjsings8462 has many videos of Betty singing songs and telling stories in her later years.

As the progressive symptoms of dementia became apparent, Betty moved to an Assisted Living Memory Care Facility in February where she received excellent care. She was under the gentle care of Hospice since June, decades after she herself served others as a Hospice nurse and caregiver. To her last day Betty always knew who her children were when they called on FaceTime and on her last day she said, "I love all my kids."

Betty remains deeply loved by her five children and their spouses all of whom survive her: Mary Ann (Edward) Baxter, John (Christine) Jeszeck, Eileen (Deborah Kalish) More, Joseph (Jane) Jeszeck and Thomas (Jill) Jeszeck. Betty leaves behind grandchildren Suzanne Jeszeck, Joseph Jeszeck, Jacob (Natalia) Kupersmith, John (Dominique) Kupersmith, Casey (Tia) Jeszeck, Anna Jeszeck, Philip Jeszeck & Andrew Jeszeck and great grandchildren Dacey, Chase, Elijah, Olivia, Sienna & Emily and dearly loved nieces Patricia, Janet, Nancy and Kimiko.

Betty was predeceased by her nephews Edward John Lilley and Robert Luchitz.

Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 A.M. Wednesday November 15, 2023 at St. Mary's & St. Andrew's Church in Ellenville. Visitation will be held on Tuesday November 14, 2023 from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. and 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. at Loucks Funeral Home at 79 N Main St. in Ellenville.

Those wishing to make a charitable donation in Betty's name may give to the Alzheimers Association by calling 800-272-3900.