Elizabeth J. “Betty” (Silva) Rosenblatt 90, of Provincetown, formerly of Cherry Hill, NJ died peacefully July 25, 2012 at Cape Cod Hospital with her sister Rachel White, her sole 9 year caregiver by her side. She was born in Provincetown March 12, 1922, the daughter of the late Manuel and Annie E. (Lee) Silva. She was the wife of the late Theodore Rosenblatt. After graduating from Provincetown High School in 1940, she moved to Washington, DC and went to work at the Pentagon. While she was in personnel she was able to hire Ruth Hiebert, another Provincetown woman and daughter of the late Dr. Daniel Hiebert, Betty’s family physician and friend of her dad. Betty was a para legal for awhile. As she progressed in Civil Service she became a Budget Analyst and Chief Comptroller in Finance and Accounting with the Dept. of the Navy and then Department of the Army. She had a budget control assignment in Japan where she lived for 3 years after WWII, and once remarked that she was the only white American female amongst the many Japanese people on the subways. Betty received many framed citations and government awards and GS Ratings for her continued outstanding recognition in performance of service during periods of constant changes in missions and regulations, special report requirements with assumed supervisory responsibilities as a credit to herself and departments with the Federal Service. After her retirement she returned to her Alma Mater at Rutgers University where she had previously received her degrees in English, Spanish and Free Lance Writing. She became Editor in Chief of the literary magazine “Undiscovered” in 1984, a journal of outstanding poetry, essays and short stories. Her own work had been published prior to that. One of Betty’s poems, submitted by her sister appeared in Provincetown magazine on July 10, 2008. Betty respected the printed word and was an avid reader, selecting diverse material of all kinds. She loved movies (and rated them on her ticket stubs according to her standards), plays, arts & humanities, biking, skiing and hiking. A diminutive person in stature in her younger years, she wore spike heel shoes and amazed her family by hiking up and down mountain sides and everywhere in them. She volunteered much time teaching disadvantaged children to read and write and introduced them to the library and she rewarded them generously for their progress. She was a staunch Republican who belonged to the American Heritage Foundation, subscribed to National Review and was a friend of William Buckley Jr. She constantly defended the American Constitution vehemently and gave copies to everyone including one of her more political radical brothers. She was quick to support and slow to judge, no matter what religion, sex or political affiliation one embraced.
Betty was mentor to her 12 yr. younger sister who later became Betty’s caregiver when the insidious disease of Alzheimer’s became the thief of Betty’s memories until her essence was lost piece by piece. Betty was predeceased by 3 brothers, Malcolm, Emanuel and Norbert and their wives. Besides her sister Rachel White, with whom she lived in Provincetown, she is survived by 4 nieces, Sharon Walker and her husband James of Alabama, Maxine Notaro and her husband Joe of Truro, Roberta Magowitz and her husband Howard of Maryland and Rachel Peters and her husband Eugene of Provincetown and her nephew, Shaun White and his wife Tami of CT. She is also survived by numerous great nephews and nieces. Visiting hours are today (Sunday) at the Gately-McHoul Funeral Home 94 Harry Kemp Way Provincetown from 4:00-6:00pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter the Apostle Church 11 Prince St. Provincetown on Monday July 30, 2012 at 11:00am
If desired memorial contributions in honor of Betty may be made to Alzheimers of Cape Cod 765 Attucks Lane Hyannis, MA 02601 or to the Provincetown Rescue Squad PO Box 109 Provincetown, MA 02657 or to Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, annunciation Frieary 5821 Old Leeds Rd. Irondale, Alabama 35210-2164