Elizabeth Ann "Betty" Webber

Betty was born on August 8, 1936 in Peabody, Mass., to the late Rosario St. Laurent and Julia St. Laurent (Cushman).

Growing up in Lynn, Mass. during the Depression and war years resulted in a lifetime of “can-do” spirit and ingenuity. Betty was not one to take “no” for an answer. A stellar student, she was nonetheless hindered by family expectations and opportunities for women at the time. Still, she secured a full scholarship to the Lynn Hospital School of Nursing, graduated first in her class, and became an orthopedic surgical registered nurse.

In 1959, the world’s doors opened wider when she married Randall Webber, a Navy ensign she met on a blind date. Their 50-year marriage took them all over the world, via official orders and then by choice, settling in their beloved San Diego and finally here in Yorktown.

A dedicated mother, and beloved “Bubba” to her granddaughters, Betty was perhaps the most authentic person one could meet. She was an amazing listener and cheerleader who made each person she was with feel like they were the only person in the room.

In 1962 she and Randy were stationed in Meridian, Miss., an experience that instilled in her a lifelong advocacy for justice and civil rights that she passed on to her children and grandchildren. A consummate news junkie and baseball lover she always had a radio nearby, even tucking a small one into her beaded clutch while at a wedding (it WAS the World Series).

Once a nurse always a nurse, Betty volunteered at the Tabb Middle School Nurse’s Office for 14 years, offering hugs, her amazing organizational skills, and comfort to students and staff alike. Twice she was named Volunteer of the Year.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Randall Webber. She is survived by her daughter, Maureen Roth and her husband, Stephen Roth of Yorktown, VA; her son, Stephen Webber and his fiancée, Eleanor Franke, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; granddaughters, Samantha Roth and her partner, Andrew Webster, of Baltimore Md., and Margaret Gordon and her husband, Mark Gordon, of Glasgow, Scotland; and nieces, Michele Collins (Patrick), Lisa Guay (Donald), Catherine Dipietro (John) and Susan St. Laurent. A special thank you to Betty’s long-time caregiver, Sarah Brown.

In light of COVID concerns and restrictions there will be no visitation. A funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, March 19, 2021 at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church, Yorktown. Attendance at the service will be limited to family and close friends. The service will also be live streamed through the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Mass YouTube site. Betty will be buried with her husband at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.

If you’d like to make a donation in Betty’s memory, please consider Father Joe’s Villages (https://my.neighbor.org). All she would ask is that you practice random acts of kindness and senseless beauty.