Betty Ann Newcombe

 

These pictures of the boys with their grandmother, my mother-in-law, were taken last February. It was a good visit full of mischief and laughter and I am grateful we had it. A few weeks after this we learned of the illness that ultimately took Betty from us last week.

It is hard to find the words to express how much this woman meant to us. Betty was the kind of person who loved her family with all her heart and who celebrated each milestone in her children’s lives with unabashed enthusiasm. Her generosity was unfailing and she had a terrific sense of humor, two qualities that my husband inherited. When we adopted puppies years ago, Betty put pictures of the dogs on her shelves alongside other important family pictures and looked forward to their visits—she never asked us when we were going to give her the more traditional kind of grandchild. When we purchased our first home, she was thrilled for us—she never asked why we didn't move closer to where she lived, although I’m sure she would have preferred that. When we told her we were adopting I don’t think I have ever seen anyone so excited. She weathered every step of the wait with as much fervor as we did and she loved her grandsons with all her heart before she ever met them. There are a million stories of how she supported us like this, in ways both big and small, and life will not be the same without her.

Today would have been Betty's 69th birthday. I wish we could have had more time but I am trying to focus on being grateful for the time that we did have, and I am most certainly grateful that she had the chance to know the boys. While they probably won't remember her, indirectly they most certainly will come to know her, for her son is like her in so many ways. I suspect that my children will inherit their grandmother's sense of humor, and they will be lucky if they gain her generous and supportive heart.

Rest in peace, Betty. We miss you dearly.