Betty Hannon Jerome, 86, passed away peacefully, at home, her family by her side, in the late afternoon of Wednesday 11 April. She had been diagnosed with cancer in January 2011, and though the disease could not be eradicated, she remained active and upbeat until about three weeks before her death. She was entirely free of pain throughout her illness.
Betty was born at home in New Britain, CT on 27 February 1926, the first daughter of Thor and Jennie Hannon. The family soon after moved to Bristol and there Betty received her education.
Her father Thor, an electrical engineer, in concert with Burt Nelson, founded the Superior Electric Company. The company was on the cutting edge of technology at the time and thrived, and the family’s circumstances following the Depression---Betty never forgot the hardship of that era---improved to such the extent that Betty was able to enroll in Smith College. She graduated in 1947 with a degree in fine arts and languages.
Betty’s ambition was to become a singer of German Lieder. Throughout her life she sang and loved music. However, she decisively changed direction. After leaving Smith, Betty took a summer course in pre-med science and was accepted at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. She received her M.D. in 1952, and specialized in pediatrics.
During her residencies at Albany and Hartford hospitals, Betty met Otto Steinmayer, Jr., also a doctor. They married in 1954 and settled in Bristol.
Betty devoted herself the next few years to building a family. Her first son, Otto III, was born in 1956. Karl followed in 1957, and William in 1958. Once her boys had entered school, Betty turned again to medicine. She never had a practice of her own; instead, she dedicated her skills to part-time public service, to the Well Child Clinic and as consultant to the Visiting Nurse Association.
In 1975 Betty lost her husband Otto, who died, tragically, by his own hand. Two years later she married William B. Jerome of Guilford. At the same time she was nominated to the board of directors of Superior Electric and served until 1989, when she oversaw SECO’s acquisition by DANA.
Betty and Bill bought a piece of land in rural Killingworth, began building a house, and moved there in 1979. In Killingworth Betty enjoyed the happiest years of her life. Her interests were many, ranging from boating to gardening to needlework and tennis. She and her husband were enthusiastic volunteers with Mystic Seaport’s Pilots Program.
While Betty had by this time given up even volunteer medical work, she kept herself informed of medical advances and gave advice and simple care to her husband and extended family.
Betty had to endure her second most painful loss in 2002 when her son Karl died suddenly and unexpectedly. She and her husband sold the house in Killingworth and moved in 2004 to Stonington, to be near their children, and continued with their activities as before, at a slower pace.
Betty is survived by her husband, Bill, and a numerous extended family — her two sons Otto and William; her stepchildren Bill C., Kathy, Lynn, Anne, and Susan Jerome; her daughters-in-law Nusi Baki and Lynn Marie Steinmayer; three grandchildren, Samuel Muda Otto, and Christoph Thor and Lillian Abigail Steinmayer; her nieces Susan Burton-Kelly and Jennifer Burton-Reeve. Her sister, Barbara Hannon Burton, predeceased Betty in 1986.
Betty requested to be cremated. Her family will greet relatives and friends for a celebration of her life at The Dinoto Funeral Home, 17 Pearl Street, Historic downtown Mystic on Sunday 15 April from 4 to 6 p.m.
Donations in Betty’s memory made be made to the American Cancer Society.
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