Remembrance Gathering
Sunday October 28, 2018
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Horticultural Center
Elm Bank
900 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA.
(light refreshments served)
Donovan, Elizabeth "Betsy" of Wellelsey, left us on October 14, 2018. She was born October 4, 1952 in Pittsburgh, PA., the third of 11 children of Betty and James Donovan. She leaves behind her husband, Don Thieme of Wellesley, and Daughter Susanna McNall of Natick. She died of Glioblastoma, as did her sister Carol 10 years earlier. She had a close relationship with her nieces and nephews but especially Carol’s daughters Annie and Nora Donovan, both of New York, as well as Alenka Donovan of Boston. She deeply cared about her step daughter Kristin Parker of Brookline and her husband James and their son Harry.
Her many sisters, Suzanne and Anne Donovan of Washington D.C., Mary Pat Donovan and Colleen Hart of Seattle and Nellie Donovan of Santa Cruz all were able to provide sisterly love and comfort by frequent stays over this last year of her illness. Her brothers Tim Donovan of Milton, MA., Michael Donovan of Jacksonville, FL, James Donovan of Sunnyvale, CA and John Donovan of Dallas, TX were always there for her. Her daily contacts with her mother Betty (93) and her Aunt AnnaMarie (107), always provided her with comfort and good humor.
Betsy attended the University of Pennsylvania where she received a BA in economics and a Masters in Business and Health Policy from the Wharton School. She went on to work at Wharton Econometrics, the Department of Health and Human Services as a health policy analyst, Ernst and Whinney (now Ernst and Young) as a senior manager in health care consulting, and the Heller School of Brandies University as a manager of Research.
After raising her daughter, she received a Masters degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education and taught math at Wellesley High School. However, after volunteering at the Dept. of Corrections women’s prison helping students prepare for admission into BU’s Baccalaureate program—and with the inspiration of her sister Carol’s commitment to social justice as a public defender—she accepted a full time position as a teacher at Framingham women’s prison. There she met many wonderful, equally dedicated people, and offered prisoners the support and kindness that gave them a chance for a better future.
Betsy attracted so many people who she cared about and who cared for her. Her life long friend Cindy Hoffman of Carnegie, PA, her college roommate Kathryn Roth of Greensboro, NC and close friend Carol Weinrib of Newton, MA. Were relationships she cherished for decades.
She greatly enjoyed travel, but after being dragged to Mount Everest for her honeymoon, she took greater control over the destinations. With exceptions such as Africa, Croatia, Slovenia, and China, she preferred our own National Park System where she felt she could safely brush her teeth.
Betsy was a role model who daily demonstrated principles of justice and equity in the way she lived her life. Her intelligence, personal integrity, dignity, and compassion, leavened by a sense of humor and a quickness to laugh at herself, defined her character. She was an inspiration to all who knew her.
There will be a memorial gathering on Sunday, October 28, 2018 at 11 a.m. for all who wish to remember Betsy at the Horticultural Center at Elm Bank, 900 Washington St. Wellesley, MA. For further information call or text 781-424-0930 or refer to the obituary section at www.gfdoherty.com.