Betsy Carpenter

1930 - 2023

Betsy Carpenter
November 25, 1930 - November 29, 2023
Betsy Carpenter, born Elisabeth Brett on November 25, 1930 in New York City, died peacefully from heart failure aged 93 on November 29th in her bed at the Sequoias, Portola Valley, Calif., where she has lived for the past 20 years.
Betsy attended Miss Hall's School in Massachusetts and Putney School in Vermont, and went to Radcliff College and Cornell University. She survived Tuberculosis and went on to be a passionate outdoor person, becoming a lifelong member of the Sierra Club. She was a Mountain Search and Rescue Volunteer, a member of the National Ski Patrol, an expert in high altitude flower identification, designed and built her own passive solar house in Truckee, Lake Tahoe and generously mentored and cared for many friends, children and extended family members.
Betsy was a teacher of 'end of care' issues, including medical ethics, at Stanford University Medical School for many years, with her husband Dr. Alan Carpenter. She was a grief Counsellor at KARA, and an advocate of Advance Directives, speaking across the San Francisco Bay Area to diverse groups.
She was exceptionally skilled at needlework handicrafts - especially knitting, needlepoint, embroidery, quilting, sewing, and both hooked and braided rugs. She made the needlepoint cushions at the front of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. She often gifted her handmade 'works of art' for major events in family and friend's lives. She expertly sewed everything from wedding dresses to backpacking tents and sleeping bags, custom designed jackets for her husband Alan's tall 6'5' frame, created clothing that would double as formal wear and hiking gear for their trips abroad, proudly making their hiking backpacks weigh close to nothing!
She was predeceased by her son, Tom Brett Herbert and her first husband, Dr. Walter Herbert. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Alan Carpenter; her sister, Clare Smith; her daughter, Su Herbert Bowerman; and many stepchildren; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.
Betsy will be remembered for her determination, kindness, humor and wisdom.
Her Memorial Service will be held on December 17th at the Sequoias, Portola Valley, Calif. from 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon. If you wish to donate in her name, she supported the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).