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NORTHAMPTON - Elizabeth Betke, deeply loved by family and friends, died of cancer on Dec. 22, 2009 with her family by her side.

Elizabeth was born and grew up in Yonkers, N.Y., lived in Eugene, Ore., Maui, Hawaii, Burlington, Vt., and Durham, N.C., before settling in Northampton. Here she raised her family and pursued a career as professor at Springfield Technical Community College where she taught courses for many years in kinesiology, pathology, and occupational therapy treatment techniques in the occupational therapy and massage therapy programs. Recently, she returned to her first love by auditing art courses at STCC.

Elizabeth received both her undergraduate and master's degree in occupational therapy at SUNY at Buffalo and completed her doctorate at UMass Amherst.

She was instrumental in developing a curriculum for the occupational therapy assistant program at STCC, and particularly enjoyed teaching adult learners who had returned to school to develop a new career.

Her greatest pleasures, however, were not work-related, but involved family: her daughters, Elena and Lillian; her husband, Richard Brunswick; her sisters, Nancy Rogers and Barbara Suddaby; her parents, Margaret and William Betke; her nieces and nephews and their children; and her many friends.

She loved swimming, hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, reading and art, and was an avid flosser. She could often be spotted walking with Richard through the streets of Northampton.

A memorial service will be held at the Northampton Center for the Arts, 17 New South St., Northampton (third floor, parking behind Forbes Library) on Sunday, Dec. 27, at 1 p.m.

There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any of the following organizations: The Northampton Survival Center, 265 Prospect St., Northampton MA 01060; The Food Bank of Western MA, 97 N. Hatfield Road, Hatfield, MA 01038; Northampton Education Foundation's Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 44, Northampton, MA 01061; Tapestry Health, 320 Riverside Drive, Florence, MA 01062; or the charity of your choice.