Elizabeth Chamberlain Leonard

ELIZABETH CHAMBERLAIN LEONARD

"BETTY"

1937-2025

Elizabeth Anne Dix Chamberlain Leonard, 88, died on March 26, 2025, in Westwood, MA, with her three children at her side. "Betty" was born in 1937 in Binghamton, NY, the pride and joy of her parents, Dr. Danford Orin Chamberlain and Anne Dix Chamberlain. When Betty was 12, she was thrilled to move with her family to the big city of Chicago. She attended the Girls Latin School, was active in Chicago society as a debutante while attending Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA, and attended Wells College in Aurora, NY. She married Daniel Leonard, Jr. of Winnetka, IL in 1959. Betty and Dan lived in Chicago and Winnetka for twelve years, before moving to Ridgewood, NJ and eventually Amherst, NH with their three children.

Betty had a lifelong interest in finance, having learned about the stock market at her mother's knee. The first phase of Betty's career was at the Chicago Board of Trade with Merrill Lynch, while Dan was finishing his MBA. She followed in her parents' footsteps by successfully managing personal investments for most of her life. As her children matured, she embarked on a new career as a Realtor in 1980, winning numerous awards for record-breaking sales in the southern NH market. Success in real estate came naturally to Betty, as she immersed herself in understanding her clients' goals and interests and worked meticulously to bring each project to a rave-worthy conclusion.

Betty was social and gracious to her core, with an infectious laugh and a warmth that drew people to her. She loved the socialite parties and debutante events of her early adulthood and maintained those relationships for decades. She was active in the Junior League, working on charity events, including Passavant's Petite Parade, a fashion show where her own young children often took the runway.

Betty was committed to her children's education and opportunities, fostering an appreciation for the finer things in life, as well as the simple struggles that we all share. She had a delightful sense of humor and had fun with people of all ages. She would relish conversing with a toddler, and then recounting that conversation "in character!" She jumped with both feet into cheering on a sports team, crashing a slumber party to dance with 10-year-olds, or hosting a holiday feast. Her legendary holiday gatherings would incorporate family traditions, elegant dishes, and the good silver, which she spent days polishing and positioning for the event. She had a comprehensive collection of cookbooks, tracking the culinary life of her extended family.

Those close to her also knew Betty for her "gas-station interviews." When she saw an interesting bumper-sticker or T-shirt, she simply HAD to know the story! Soon, she would be deep in conversation about that person's life. Due to her winsome demeanor, the "interviewees" seemed to enjoy this as much as Betty did. She had a genuine curiosity about people and "what makes them tick," and her family came to refer to her as "our own Barbara Walters." Betty made everyone feel special. As friends entered the home, or children came home from college, she scurried to the door, bubbling with glee; she would fling her hands up and down, silver bracelets jingling, exclaiming, "Isn't this just NEAT?!" She served their favorite foods, offered beds with crisp LL Bean sheets and fluffy down puffs, and instantly made them feel at home.

Betty loved music – singing in particular. She and Dan (and therefore their children) were well-rehearsed in college fight songs, show tunes and hymns. Certain words or places, when mentioned in daily life, were cues for Betty to burst into song… Oklahoma, trombones, Gary Indiana… her family would roll their collective eyes, and then start singing along! She participated in choruses, performed with the Ridgewood Gilbert & Sullivan Opera, and in a children's theater troupe that served underprivileged neighborhoods.

Betty inherited a love of genealogy from her parents and passed this on to her husband. Betty and Dan took road trips that they described as "digging up old relatives," meaning that they were visiting cemeteries in their genealogical research. As they explored their roots, they would reach out to distant cousins who, often, also caught the genealogy bug. She belonged to several genealogical societies, including the Society of Mayflower Descendants, the Colonial Dames of America, and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She enjoyed both researching her ancestry and sharing stories about her relatives. She gifted her children with a "living color" sense of what their grandparents' and great-grandparents' lives were like. She took pride in the works of her ancestors, who included the original settlers of Windsor, WI, Vermont farmers, soldiers in US wars, as well as surgeons, Generals, and politicians.

We are saddened by her loss, but her loving family appreciates the dedication and exposure to disparate aspects of life that she gave us, and mostly her deep love for us. Betty was predeceased by the love of her life, Dan, who passed away five months earlier, just one month short of their 65th anniversary. She is survived by their children: Ashley Leonard of Fall River, MA, Elizabeth "Bonnie" Leonard (Christina Toro) of Newton, MA, Danford Leonard (Robin St. Germain) of Lyman, NH; five grandchildren, Danford "Ford," May, Anne, Ian, and Christopher Leonard; their niece Caroline Krepp O'Malley, and nephew Charles "Chad" Krepp; her godchildren Laura Farrell, Katie Price Stallard, Frank Munford Theis, and Peter C. Mark, and many cousins.

A memorial service with video streaming will be held at Christ Church in Winnetka, IL at 11:00 CDT, June 28, 2025. Betty will be interred in the church yard beside Dan. Further details to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and specify the tribute "In Memory of Betty Leonard".

giving.massgeneral.org/donate/madrc