Elizabeth "Betsy" Bonadio

Elizabeth "Betsy" Bonadio, born on May 28, 1945 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully at her home in Concord, Massachusetts, on January 14, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.
Betsy was the devoted wife of Charles Bonadio, with whom she shared 60 wonderful years of marriage. She was a beloved mother to Ann Antes and her husband Jim of Westford, MA, Robin Russell and her husband Patrick of New Canaan, CT, and Steve Bonadio and his wife Christina of Randolph, NJ. Betsy was also the proud grandmother of Alex, his wife Jenny, Ben, Nick, Kyle, Drew, Devon, Sophia, and Phoebe.
Betsy graduated from Penn State University in 1967 and she began her career as an English teacher. Like many Pennsylvania natives, Betsy and Charlie met in Ocean City, NJ working summer jobs on the boardwalk. They later spent countless summers in Ocean City as their children grew up, a tradition that continued with their grandchildren.
Betsy and Charlie moved to Connecticut from Penn State, then after a short stint in the Chicago area, finally settled in Concord where she has resided for the last 47 years. Betsy worked as a substitute teacher in the Concord Public Schools and taught children with special needs in Lincoln. Betsy was also the consummate volunteer in her childrens' schools. Her elaborate Gingerbread House donation to the annual fundraiser at the Fenn School was always one of the most sought after auction items. Betsy loved to take cooking classes learning cuisines from around the world and instilling the love of food and traditions such as fondue with her family. Later in life, she found her professional calling as a real estate broker at Coldwell Banker, where she thrived for over 30 years. Betsy's energy, dedication, and work ethic were inspirations to those around her. She received countless awards over the years and became very close friends with many of her clients.
Betsy will be remembered for her fierce loyalty to her family and her unwavering support for their endeavors. Known as "Gammy" to her grandchildren, she delighted in building blanket forts, playing with Legos and train sets, creating art projects, building sandcastles on the beach in Ocean City, filling up water balloons for her grandkids to play with in the family pool, and taking her grandchildren shopping. Even the family dogs adored Gammy (or better known as Hammy because she loved to feed them ham and cheese) for her generous spirit and were fixtures at her feet because they knew they would get endless treats.
An avid fan of the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, and the Penn State Nittany Lions, Betsy found even greater joy in cheering on her grandchildren from the sidelines of Westford and New Canaan. She and Charlie never missed a game and traveled all over to watch them play. She introduced her family to skiing during the long and cold New England winters-a tradition that began at Nashoba Valley in the 1970s and ended with cherished family weekends at Waterville Valley and Sugarloaf. This love of skiing has been passed down to her grandchildren. Betsy always loved family trips, whether it be Ocean City, Florida, Hawaii, Disney, Aruba and the Caribbean, Captiva, and Europe. She loved to travel and enjoyed it even more when she was with her children and grandchildren.
We would like to thank Emerson Hospital and the nurses and doctors in the Mass General cancer wing, infusion center, and ICU, as well as the wonderful aids and nurses from Embrace and Care Dimensions Hospice.
A small family service will be held on Saturday, January 18th, with a celebration of life planned for later this spring.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Betsy's honor may be made to the Ovarian Cancer Institute or Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.