Elizabeth J. McGillicuddy

It is fair to say Betty enjoyed a very good life for the vast majority of her 94 years. The journey began for Betty in 1916 at Middletown, Connecticut where her father had moved in search of employment after immigrating from Ireland. Their family of six moved to Rochester, NY when Betty was seven years old. All of her family members remained in New York throughout their adult lives, where they and their children saw each other frequently, and grew up together. Following her graduation from West High School and the beginning of her professional career in the Eastman Kodak billing department, Betty married her husband of 62 years, Bob McGillicuddy. While they did many things together, including dancing, traveling and attending the theater and sporting events, Betty retained many interests of her own. She was a voracious reader, consuming several books a week throughout her lifetime. And if anyone deserved a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, Betty should have been on the top of the list of candidates. She remained in constant contact with family members, shirt-tail relatives, friends and even children of friends by letters and emails more effectively than anyone who was not on her address list could imagine. While Betty was employed occasionally outside the home, her principal focus was on providing a home environment that selflessly permitted others to flourish. During their retirement Betty and Bob wintered in Florida, returning to Rochester during the more temperate summer months. They had two children, Judy Taillie of Oro Valley Arizona and Jim McGillicuddy of Fredericksburg, Virginia; and four grandchildren, Scott Taillie, Leigh Ann McGrath, Kevin McGillicuddy and Nancy McGillicuddy. Betty moved to Oro Valley and lived with Judy and her husband Steve when the Taillies retired to Arizona in 2006. Until her health began to fail last year, Betty was troubled only by moderate hearing loss and a twinge of arthritis. The support provided by the Taillies enabled Betty to maintain the highest quality of life possible. She led a happy life and was in the company of family members at the moment she peacefully left us all behind on June 16, 2011.