Elizabeth A. Stallings

STALLINGS, Elizabeth Arundell (Betty), devoted mother and family member, nurturer of lifelong friendships, and lover of chocolate until the very end, died peacefully in her sleep December 7, 2023, at the age of 96. She was preceded in death by her father the Honorable C. Rogers Arundell, her mother Alice Wright Arundell, her sister Mary Benton Keller, her brother Robert Griswold Arundell, and her niece Elizabeth Koepenick Rexroad. She is survived by her children Robert, Anne, and Thomas and his wife Tracy, her niece Katherine Graves and her husband Robert, her niece Elizabeth’s husband Al Rexroad, and many grand- and great-nieces and nephews, friends, and admirers.

Born September 30, 1927, in Washington, D.C., Betty was a Class of 1945 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, where she made many lifelong friends, including her dear Gamma Tau Sigma sorority sisters, with whom she circulated a round robin newsletter for over 70 years.

She matriculated at Wellesley College, earning a B.A. degree in English and again made a wonderful group of lifelong friends, served as Treasurer of her Class of 1949, and enjoyed returning regularly to campus for class reunions and summer symposia.

Following graduation from college, she married and settled in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., expecting to happily devote the coming decades to being a stay-at-home wife, mother, and homemaker. While following that path, Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique helped her realize that she could – and should – add a career path to her life plan. So, she enrolled in graduate school at The Catholic University of America to obtain her Master’s degree in Library Science. In 1968, she began a fulfilling 35-year career in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, where, once again, she met a cadre of dear friends.

In addition to her commitment to her family and career, she was always a dedicated volunteer, active with her churches and many community groups including the Junior League of Washington and her beloved McLean Project for the Arts. One of her favorite quotes was “Our talents are of little value until we utilize them and apply them to the enrichment of life.”

She survived breast cancer and, in 1975-1976, volunteered to participate in a clinical research trial at The National Institutes of Health for what was at the time an experimental new triple-drug chemotherapy regimen. She was pleased that her participation in this groundbreaking research led to treatments benefitting millions of women worldwide.

In 2005, she relocated from McLean to Richmond, becoming an inaugural resident of the newly constructed Courtyard Apartments at Westminster Canterbury Richmond. Once again, she met a wonderful group of friends and enjoyed enriching cultural experiences and rewarding volunteer work, including service at St. James’s Episcopal Church, as an AARP Tax Aide, with the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, and in many roles at Westminster Canterbury Richmond, which honored her exemplary volunteer service with its Laurel Award in 2010.

She loved reading, photography, classical music, Broadway showtunes, and poetry. She traveled the world, visiting every continent except Antarctica. She loved dining out and realized joy and purpose in organizing, planning, and scheduling to optimize opportunities to stay connected with friends and family. She was one-of-a-kind and left an indelible impression on most everyone she met.

Interment will be at 12:00 Noon January 3, 2024, at Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm January 26, 2024, at Westminster Canterbury Richmond.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to enjoy some chocolate in her memory and consider a donation to the Westminster Canterbury Richmond Foundation https://foundation.wcrichmond.org/, Wellesley College https://www.wellesley.edu/, St. James’s Episcopal Church Endowment Fund https://doers.org/giving/the-st-jamess-endowment-fund-inc/, or a charity of your choosing.