Beth Christine "Gram" Redmond

Beth Christine Petre Redmond, 102, passed away peacefully on January 3. Beth-known to most as "Gram"-was born in Liège, Belgium to Ernest and Leona Fina Emilia Plateus Petre. She and her three sisters grew up in Belgium during World War II. The war interrupted her dream of becoming a foreign language teacher; however, it also led her-at her mother's urging-to thank a young American soldier for his service in her country, and to later accept his proposal of marriage!

Beth inspired her family and friends with her courage and resilience. She left her family and her big-city life in Belgium at the end of the war to move to a very small town in Michigan with her soldier husband Bill. Money was tight; she took a job as secretary to the head librarian at Central Michigan University, a position ideal for someone so passionate a reader and student. She loved and remained proud of this work throughout her life. While she and Bill were raising their three children, Bill was diagnosed with brain cancer. Beth nursed him through grueling treatments, but he passed away when their kids were young teenagers.

A year later, Beth received a marriage proposal from Bill's cousin Basil, who was also raising three children after being widowed. Beth worried about how all six children would feel about new parents and a blended family, but with their blessing, she married Basil. The two farmed in Michigan, raised their six children together, and built a family that remains connected by blood and love. Beth and Basil retired from farming in 1974, then divided their time between lakefront life in Port Sanilac, Michigan, time with their daughter Dee's family in Marlette, Michigan, and riverfront life in Estero, Florida, until Basil's death in 1983.

Though Beth was only 60 years old at this time, she said that she'd been lucky to love and to be loved by two of the best men, and that she would never want another. She mourned her too-short and very happy retirement with Basil, filled with fishing, card games, and time with friends. But, with her characteristic resilience, she crafted yet another life for herself, as she had after leaving her home in Belgium and after losing her first husband. She modeled for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren growth in the face adversity and a life filled with joy.

Travel was one of Beth's greatest pleasures in this new phase of her life, and she enjoyed trips to Italy, England, the Canary Islands, and Belgium in her later years-with her last trip to Belgium at age 93! She spent countless hours traveling around the US to visit grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed local travel as well, and for eleven years she planned and hosted "mystery trips" for people in her neighborhood: they trusted her to plan surprise day and weekend trips to various Florida destinations to learn about local history, botany, ecology, etc. and to take part in music and theater activities. When she wasn't traveling, she enjoyed a number of jobs over the years-a favorite being her work for a tour company that afforded her opportunities for travel (her Panama Canal cruises were a highlight!) and opportunities to greet celebrities (she loved meeting Roberta Flack and Bob Saget!) in a limo at the airport!

When Beth was 72, at the urging of her family, she moved to North Carolina to live with her daughter, Dee, and son-in-law, John (though always "just a son" to her, because, as she often said, "what son-in-law would let his mother-in-law live with him for 28 years!"). She insisted that she continue working; she "didn't want to sit home and get old!" She loved her work in two department stores, and she made many new friends during that time. Her family eventually convinced her to retire at age 80 so she could spend holidays with them rather than working, but she still didn't want to sit around the house. She then devoted her free time, when she wasn't traveling, to her church and to delivering meals to and visiting with "her shut-ins" (most of whom were younger than she was!).

Though Beth's story is too long to share in any greater detail, and is inspiring to all who hear it, it's not her story that remains in the hearts of those who knew her. Beth somehow had a way of making friends everywhere she went, throughout the world, and of maintaining those friendships-first by mail and telephone, and later with her quick embrace of email, FaceTime, and Facebook! Her heart was huge, and she was genuinely interested in everyone she got to know, quickly making them feel like they were part of her family. She rarely forgot a birthday, and she was quick to inquire about the things that were meaningful to her friends and family-as well as to her caregivers of the past three years, who came to visit "sweet Miss Beth" even when they were not working, and who asked to provide her with care during her last days. She will be missed greatly by the many people whose lives she touched.

Beth was preceded in death by her two beloved husbands, William (Bill) Redmond and Basil Redmond, her son John, and her sisters Jacqueline and Nelly. She is survived by her sister Micheline and many cousins, nieces, and nephews in Belgium; her children Dee and John Cargill, Mark, Martha (Debozy), Paul, and Doug, as well as her "chosen daughter" Pat Brown; her grandchildren Melissa and John (Cargill) and Janne Puustinen, Seth and Rochelle (Redmond), Anne (Debozy), Sarah, Santiago, and Joshua (Redmond), Jeff, Brian and John (Redmond), and her dear "chosen grandson" Joe Simpson; and fourteen great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Beth's life will be held Saturday, April 11, at 3:00 p.m. at her daughter Dee's home in Wendell, NC, with a short service followed by a potluck and the opportunity to share many memories! In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Best Friends Animal Society (https://bestfriends.org/)-Beth was a passionate animal lover who supported this organization for over two decades and even celebrated her 98th birthday with them via Zoom!-or to her church home, Wendell United Methodist Church (https://www.wendellumc.org/).