Elizabeth Armstrong Robertson

1943 - 2023

Elizabeth "Bette" Armstrong Robertson, 79, of Richmond, Virginia, daughter of Elmer S. and Margaret A. Robertson, passed peacefully with her family by her side on May 16, 2023. Growing up in Ginter Park, she was the oldest of four children: two sisters, Margaret Anne Fohl and Dorothea Robertson, and brother Theodore Robertson. She obtained her pilot's license at the age of 16 with encouragement from her father. She attended Peace College in Raleigh, NC, and lived for a short period of time in Switzerland after graduation, where her love of travel took root.

Bette was married for nineteen years to David L. West, with whom she had three children, Anne West Neurohr (Rick), Timothy Lile West, and Elizabeth West Canar (Cleveland) and three grandchildren, Meredith Lankford (Connor), Abigail and Benjamin Neurohr.

After receiving a nursing degree from J. Sargent Reynold's, Bette worked locally and volunteered abroad. An avid traveler, she was able to make friends everywhere. She kept the postal service busy with her annual life update letters that were sent all around the world. She traveled the globe numerous times, visiting all seven continents, but always claimed Egypt as her favorite place. Her family will miss her stories at holiday dinners of her adventures at Machu Picchu, The Great Wall of China, and many other places.

Bette also had culinary skills, exemplified by her famous Beef Wellington. But she was not afraid to get her hands dirty. She would occasionally camp during her travels, and she was able to grow nearly everything in her garden, focusing on roses.

On Sunday, August 13 (Bette's 80th birthday), a memorial service will be held at Second Presbyterian Church at 2 PM followed by a reception at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that charitable donations be made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).