Obituary for Betty Brown (Whidden)
Betty Joan Whidden Brown, a long-time resident of Winooski, left us on Jan 2nd, 2022, after a long struggle with COPD and kidney disease. Betty was born in Keene, NH on Aug 19th, 1940, and was the daughter of Bert and Hazel Whidden (deceased).
Betty grew up on a dairy farm in Salem, New York, and was always happy to regale her family with fun and inappropriate facts of her life there. She was a high school athlete, playing both soccer and basketball. After graduating Washington Academy in Salem, New York, she left the farm life behind to go and make her way in the world.
In 1960, she married Allen Roberts, with whom she had 4 sons. They divorced in 1965, after which she continued on as a single mother. Betty provided for her children by working at the Howard Bank and New England Hospital Supply, which made her able to send her children to St. Francis Xavier school for their education. She lovingly awaited four daily after-school calls – one from each of her sons individually asking, as children are known to do, when she would get home from work. Hint: she came home at the same time every day. And the kids knew it.
In 1973, Betty married Paul Edmund Brown, and became the matriarch of a new extended family that now included three additional sons and one daughter. Paul worked at IBM in Essex Junction, and it wasn’t long before Betty also joined IBM where she remained until she retired. After Paul passed in 2010, Betty became a single mother once again, but now with eight adult children.
Betty was predeceased by two sisters (Lois Hazel Whidden Blodgett and Judith Irene Whidden Knowles) and one brother (Bert Otis Whidden). She is survived by one sister, Patricia Jean Whidden, of South Burlington. She left behind a large family that will miss her very much. She is survived by her eight children (Allen Roberts, Randall Roberts, Michael Roberts, David Roberts, Paul Brown Jr, Michael Brown, Anna Brown, and David Brown). Betty also leaves behind a numerous and diverse group of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews.
Betty was often an excellent example to her children when they were young. On one occasion, after shopping at the old Forest Hills Outlet near the Winooski Bridge, she noticed she had gone through the grocery checkout without paying for an item at the bottom of the shopping cart. She went back inside with her six-year-old son and paid for the item. Betty’s honesty made a lasting impression on her son, who fondly recalls this memory to this very day. This is but one example where she did the right thing when nobody was looking.
Visiting hours for Betty will be held at the Lavigne Funeral Home, 132 Main Street in Winooski, on Thursday, Jan 6th, 2022 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, Jan 7th, 2022, at 11:00 AM at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Winooski. Betty will be laid to rest at the Resurrection Park Cemetery in South Burlington.
Betty grew up on a dairy farm in Salem, New York, and was always happy to regale her family with fun and inappropriate facts of her life there. She was a high school athlete, playing both soccer and basketball. After graduating Washington Academy in Salem, New York, she left the farm life behind to go and make her way in the world.
In 1960, she married Allen Roberts, with whom she had 4 sons. They divorced in 1965, after which she continued on as a single mother. Betty provided for her children by working at the Howard Bank and New England Hospital Supply, which made her able to send her children to St. Francis Xavier school for their education. She lovingly awaited four daily after-school calls – one from each of her sons individually asking, as children are known to do, when she would get home from work. Hint: she came home at the same time every day. And the kids knew it.
In 1973, Betty married Paul Edmund Brown, and became the matriarch of a new extended family that now included three additional sons and one daughter. Paul worked at IBM in Essex Junction, and it wasn’t long before Betty also joined IBM where she remained until she retired. After Paul passed in 2010, Betty became a single mother once again, but now with eight adult children.
Betty was predeceased by two sisters (Lois Hazel Whidden Blodgett and Judith Irene Whidden Knowles) and one brother (Bert Otis Whidden). She is survived by one sister, Patricia Jean Whidden, of South Burlington. She left behind a large family that will miss her very much. She is survived by her eight children (Allen Roberts, Randall Roberts, Michael Roberts, David Roberts, Paul Brown Jr, Michael Brown, Anna Brown, and David Brown). Betty also leaves behind a numerous and diverse group of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews.
Betty was often an excellent example to her children when they were young. On one occasion, after shopping at the old Forest Hills Outlet near the Winooski Bridge, she noticed she had gone through the grocery checkout without paying for an item at the bottom of the shopping cart. She went back inside with her six-year-old son and paid for the item. Betty’s honesty made a lasting impression on her son, who fondly recalls this memory to this very day. This is but one example where she did the right thing when nobody was looking.
Visiting hours for Betty will be held at the Lavigne Funeral Home, 132 Main Street in Winooski, on Thursday, Jan 6th, 2022 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, Jan 7th, 2022, at 11:00 AM at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Winooski. Betty will be laid to rest at the Resurrection Park Cemetery in South Burlington.