Betty Ann (Mcgowan) Wamsley

Betty (McGowan) Wamsley passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 19 ^th after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Born in Jacksonville, Florida on July 19, 1936, to Paul E. and Sarah Florence McGowan, Betty earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Florida State University. She met her husband, Alfred (Fred) Wamsley, of Savannah, on a blind date and Betty and Fred were married for 55 years before he passed away in 2015.

Because of Fred’s career with General Foods, the family moved many times before finally settling in Bedford, NY in 1968. Betty was a lifelong volunteer and board member of many organizations, including the Bedford Garden Club, the Garden Club of America, the Junior League of Northern Westchester, the Board of Trustees of Westchester Community College, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the Nature Conservatory and Mianus River Gorge Preserve and the Bedford Conservation Committee. She was also the former co-owner of the Richard Oliver House, a clothing boutique in Bedford.

Betty was an active member of Matthew’s Episcopal Church and Bedford Golf and Tennis Club, where she was a formidable golf and tennis player. She was best-known for her sense of humor and her over-the-top practical jokes, many of which included her chicken and gorilla costumes.

In 2009, when her health began to fail, Betty and Fred moved “home” to Atlantic Beach, Florida, where they had spent winters for many years.

Betty is survived by her daughters, Mary Jane Johnson of Stoughton, MA; Sara Hickman (Bruce) of Hartfield, VA and Susie Wamsley of Greenwich, CT; and four grandsons, Ryan, Bobby and Luke Johnson of Stoughton, MA and Tyler Hartnett of Hartfield, VA. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Hannah Lou McGowan and Doris McGowan of Jacksonville and her nieces and nephews, Eddie McGowan, Ted McGowan, Mark McGowan, Donna Ratliff and Beverly Sherman Shepherd. She is also survived by her dear friends, Gail and John Carver, of Fernandina Beach, who provided her all of the attention and care she needed during her years of declining health.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, the American Alzheimer’s Association or a charity of one’s choice. A private memorial service will be held on May 20 ^th in Atlantic Beach.