Elizabeth Frazier Karplus

"A life well lived" is how I remember Betty. She contributed to the lives of so very many people even those not yet born, as her legacy in education will touch others for generations. The last two times I saw Betty in person: the first in a local gym at 6:30 AM, I stopped by to visit on my way to work. There she was physically, intellectually, and socially active. It was the start of a wonderful day! The last time I saw Betty was when Orinda Community Church reopened for in-person worship...

Betty was among the most thoughtful, kind and capable people I have ever met. I was Bob's special assistant shortly after his stroke, so I lived with them for a time. I am grateful to have known and worked with her, and to be a friend of the amazing Karplus family. Most of all, thank you, Betty, for being such a truly great person.

Betty had a major impact on me as a young woman, an impact that has carried throughout my life. Our families were friends, and as a young girl and a classmate of Beverly´s, I still remember Bob Karplus visiting our classroom and introducing a small wooden figure he called "Mr. O." A couple decades later and after Bob had passed, I came to live with Betty for 2 ½ years with my toddler daughter, Rose, while working to get my teaching credential and MA in education. I share the story of Betty´s...

Mom, thanks for giving us life, sharing your life with us, and showing us how to live.

She was a great mom, aunt, wife, sister, grandmother, friend, and teacher.