Betty Ann Dugdale

1939 - 2024

Betty Ann Dugdale

West Fairlee, VT - With the heaviest hearts, we announce the death of our beloved matriarch, Betty Ann Dugdale, in the evening hours of a warm fall day. She was 85 and died at home surrounded by her family on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. While her diabetes and kidney failure progressed, we never would have thought it would be her heart that would take her from us. What came as a great relief to her comes as a monumental loss to everyone that loved her.

Betty was born in West Topsham, VT on June 30, 1939, to Earl and Ruby (Farnham) Hood. She grew up on a farm with eight siblings, where she learned the value of a dollar, how to get dirty, be tough, have fun, and to tightly knit your family. All valuable skills she needed to raise four kids who all get along.

She married Doug Dugdale on June 18th, 1960. They made a home together in Post Mills near the airport. All while mostly being a stay-at-home mom, she worked nights at Brookside nursing home. We learned from her how to care for our elders with compassion, dignity, and respect. In the summertime, she would work in the kitchen at Camp Norway, clean houses, and mow lawns with her husband.

Betty was known for telling it like it was and being a great friend. She said what she meant, and meant what she said. If you needed sugarcoating, you were in the wrong place. She learned something new every day and enjoyed many walks around Lake Fairlee, exercising her right to vote, talking on the phone (constantly), and keeping beautiful flower gardens. Grandmotherhood looked great on her, and FaceTime changed her life at the ripe age of 81. We had a lot of good times as a family, but our favorite memories were made playing cards around the kitchen table. Betty loved taking people's poker money, and spent countless hours playing cribbage with anyone who knew how.

She leaves behind her husband of 64 years, Leonard "Doug" Dugdale; her four children, Jo-Ann Dugdale, Barbara Dugdale-Parizo (Rob), Robin Schwarz (Clint), and Anthony Dugdale (April); her four granddaughters, Lindsey Schwarz Doyle (Brendan), Carly Jennings (Dylan), Emilee Parizo, and Mackenzie Schwarz, as well as one great-grandson, Urban Anthony Jennings.

Survivors also include her best friend, Laura Pulaski, her siblings, Lucille, Polly, Beverly, Wayne, Ray, and Diana, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family members.

We will celebrate her life together in the reception hall of the Post Mills Church on Sunday, November 24th from 2-5pm. A private committal will take place in the Post Mills Cemetery, in view of their old house, at the convenience of our family.

Our family extends the utmost gratitude for Bayada Hospice and the tools they provided us to make her comfortable at home. Please consider making a donation to the Bayada Foundation in her memory at PO Box 1590, Norwich, VT 05055.

We look forward to reading memories of her in an online guestbook found at www.knightfuneralhomes.com