Betty M. LeGacy

Betty Mae LeGacy, 96, of Rockport, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday Aug 23, 2025, with her loving daughter at her side.

Betty Mae was born on June 4, 1929, at Addison Gilbert Hospital to her parents Esther Mae (Allen) Moulton and Marshall (Eben) Turner Moulton. She was raised in the Pigeon Cove neighborhood of Rockport. Betty moved to Boston at age 18 and then proceeded to enlist in the US Navy in 1950. Betty was assigned to Naval Air Wing Station 91 in South Weymouth MA. She became a personnel yeoman in1952 and a yeoman of Transport Squadron 911 in 1954. Betty went back to college on the GI bill and in1958, as a graduate of State Teachers College in Bridgeport MA, she received her first commission as lieutenant junior grade and was transferred to Newport RI. Following Wave Officer Indoctrination School, she was assigned to the Headquarters of the Assistant Chief of Staff for National Reserve and Training. Her military career took her to Naval Station Great Lakes during the late '50's where she acted as an educator, and finally back to The Charlestown Naval Station in MA where she attained the rank of lieutenant. It was here that she met her husband to be Melvin (Lee) Horace LeGacy. They were married in 1962. She retired from her military career in 1969 which ultimately concluded her 13 years in the Navy Reserves and 7 years of active duty.

Betty and Lee moved back to Rockport to raise their children, Mark and Lorri, in the same neighborhood where she was born. During these years, Betty obtained a master's degree in psychology. She was again called to serve her community by the blizzard of 1976. Betty Joined FEMA first as a volunteer and then as a full time FEMA emergency response provider as a mental health counselor. She worked with FEMA until 1989. During this part of her life, she cared for folks on the East Coast during devastating floods, the West coast during fires and earthquakes, and finally the South Pacific following the monsoons. Once finally retired, Betty and Lee loved to spend time traveling the country, traveling every which way to see all the splendor of the United States. They both came back to Rockport in the later years of their lives

Betty was predeceased by her husband Melvin in 2004. She leaves behind her son Mark T LeGacy (of Paso Robles CA) and her daughter Lorri E LeGacy (of Rockport MA) and her cherished nieces and nephews Leslie Backstrom, Geoff Moulton, Jed Moulton, and Leonard Moulton. She was pre-deceased by her dear brothers Leonard Moulton and Marshall Moulton. Betty generously provided love, caring, and support to her friends and her many "adopted" sons and daughter over the years. She lived an extraordinary 96 years, and she will be dearly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

A Graveside Service will be held in Locust Grove Cemetery, 90 Langsford Street, Gloucester, on Saturday, September 6, at 12PM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Ocean Conservancy at oceanconcervancy.org or National Wildlife Federation at NWF.org Arrangements by the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester. For online guestbook, please visit www.greelyfuneralhome.com