Elizabeth Anne Sheehan

Elizabeth Anne Sheehan (nee Knuth, formally Marlow), 89, most recently living in Waterbury, CT peacefully passed away on September 14, 2025.

Born in Bridgeport to German immigrants, Beth had a conventional childhood, filled with stories of visits to Seaside Park and Beardsley Zoo, in Bridgeport, CT.

With bobbed blond hair and blues eyes, Betty looked angelic. Looks can be deceiving. She shared the story of pushing her younger brother out to sea in an inflated tire tube. She said she was happy to be rid of him. When her mother discovered her younger child was missing, Beth was instructed to swim to the tiny bobbing dot on the horizon that was her brother. Fortunately, she was a great swimmer learning technique from an Olympic class athlete.

During her senior year at Bassik High School she was in a car accident that left her in a shapeless torso cast for the summer. She was not happy about her 'flat-as-a-board' figure profile. Betty laughed and said she went to the beach anyway in a bathing suit bottom and just the cast on top!

With Alexander Marlow (her first husband) Beth raised 5 kids in an old farmhouse in Huntington, CT while negotiating the office side of a small in-home insurance business. Often vacuuming while listening for the 'office' phone. Virtually every week day afternoon she doing paperwork in the office with the TV tuned to General Hospital. During these years, Beth had her bowling friends and her poker gals. Along with her card playing pals, she even saw Elvis in Vegas.

She loved reading and gardening and was always trying something new; scuba diving, photography, sewing, and any current crafting trends (remember macrame plant hangers and 'clacker' things?) Most recently it was knitting. Though never given credit, one of Beth's pictures was on the cover and end sheets of the 1979 Shelton High Yearbook.

Beth started a second life with her new husband James (Jim) Sheehan, thus the addition of 4 adult step daughters. She and Jim were diehard Red Sox fans.

Once again there were bowling buddies and board games. A favorite game was Balderdash. Beth's faux definitions were easy to spot; they always involved a hint of native American history or lore.

The decision to welcome foster children ('the kids') was the center of Beth and Jim's life together. Starting with babies with special needs they branched out to any children in need. Over their long marriage Beth and Jim took in 40 children, sometimes for a week, sometimes for years, and one forever. 'The kids' went to some of the same places Beth enjoyed as a child.

During this time, Beth also ran a sweepstakes newsletter called, 'Sweepers'. For a nominal fee she compiled entry information for various sweepstakes and mailed it to each subscriber. She gained friends from around the country, exchanging stories about her 'kids'. Beth and Jim were passionate advocates for improving the foster care system attending seminars and hearings regarding the rights of foster children and foster parents.

Favorite times were those spent with her family and the kids in a rented house on Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport, CT. Leaving a legacy of love, kindness, generosity, Jello molds and spaetzle.

You may ask why did you use such an old picture? Because it was one of the few photos in which she was not surrounded by kids - I guess that sums up her life.