Born on November 9, 1946 in Ware, MA, Betty Ann Wickis of Medway, was one of the early baby boomers. When just a month old, she was adopted by Virginia and Arthur Blackmer and grew up in Barre, MA. As soon as she graduated from high school, she left home to work at the Rutland VA hospital, then at the VA in Northampton, where she met Jim, her husband of 56 years. Together, they lived in San Antonio, TX while Jim served in the Army, followed by three years in Buffalo, NY. Back in Massachusetts, Betty worked as secretary to the Chief of Radiology at the Boston VA. The last twenty years of her government work was at the Natick Army Labs where she was able to get multiple promotions. Not being able to just sit around, she became a volunteer at the Milford Regional Medical Center for a dozen years.
It was in the outdoors where Betty showed her adventurous spirit. During the warmer months, she would head out to campgrounds throughout the northeast with her family. Having two baby boys never held her back. While she would go cross-country skiing whenever there was winter snow, it was bicycling that became her passion. When she became too weak to pedal on her own because of the ever-worsening myasthenia gravis, she switched to an e-bike. When the MG diminished her balance on the two-wheeled bike, she switched to a tricycle. She would always try to find a way. In the end, it was not her spirit, but her overburdened heart that brought an end to her long and happy life.
Betty is survived by her husband, Jim, her brother Dana of Virginia, and her two sons, Peter and David.
Calling hours will be held on Sunday, January 26, at the Ginley Crowley Funeral Home, 3 Barber Street, Medway, ginleyfuneralhomes.com from 4-6 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to myasthenia.org/donatenow