Elizabeth McGrath

1932 - 2025

Elizabeth (Betsey) McGrath

Hanover, NH - Elizabeth Wales Blanton McGrath died at the age of 93 on Friday, September 26, 2025 in Hanover, New Hampshire.

She is survived by her three children, Peggy Sherman (John) of Slingerlands, NY: Cathy McGrath of Fairlee, VT; and Rob McGrath (Betsy) of Brewster, MA. She is also survived by her sister, Mary Blanton of Barnard, VT; her six grandchildren - Nate Sherman, Will Sherman, Carrie Kissick, and Eliza Kissick of Brooklyn, NY; Tom McGrath of Boston, MA; and Sarah McGrath of Southborough, MA. She leaves behind her niece Betsey Geraghty of West Fairlee; great-niece Tara Geraghty-Moats of Albany, VT; and a wide circle of nieces, nephews and their families.

Betsey was the third of four daughters of Forest Williams and Jeannette Wales Blanton of Danville, Indiana. She attended local schools before continuing at Tudor Hall (Park Tudor) in Indianapolis. In her first weeks at Smith College, she met Robert Gregory (Greg) McGrath, then a junior at Amherst College, on a blind date. They married after her graduation in 1954 and began their life together in Coronado, California during Greg's naval service. Afterward, they moved to Rochester, New York where Greg worked as a chemical engineer for Eastman Kodak.

While raising her family in West Irondequoit, Betsey volunteered for the cooperative nursery school, PTA, and Girl Scouts. Volunteering for the Irondequoit Public Library was especially important to her, including serving as Board president. She supported Greg during his service on the West Irondequoit School Board. Weekends often found the family hiking in Durand Eastman Park or sailing on Lake Ontario aboard their boat, Halcyon.

With their children grown, Betsey and Greg began to travel to visit family and friends, including memorable trips to England and Hawaii. Betsey played tennis regularly and pursued her passion for antiques as a member of the local Antiquarian Society.

In 1996, following Greg's retirement, they purchased a home on Lake Morey in Fairlee, Vermont-a place close to Betsey's heart from seven summers as a camper and tennis counselor at Aloha Camp. In Fairlee, Betsey and Greg found a welcoming community, and in 2000, they sold their West Irondequoit home and moved there full-time.

Betsey volunteered at the Fairlee Public Library and with the Five College Book Sale raising scholarship funds. She loved visits from her grandchildren, who in turn became campers at Aloha and Lanakila. Her daily walk along Lake Morey Road, picking up litter, was one way she showed how she cared for her neighbors.

Greg died suddenly in 2009, ending a loving, mutually supportive partnership. Betsey remained active, traveling to see her grandchildren's games, performances, and graduations and for restorative winter breaks in Sanibel, Florida.

Betsey devoted her creativity and considerable organizational skills to her family, neighbors, and community. She loved reading, music, puzzles, gardening, and being outdoors. She was known for her English muffin bread, apple pie, shortbread cookies, and treasured assortments of homemade Christmas candy. Betsey sewed dresses for her daughters, crafted Christmas ornaments as annual gifts, and knit countless sweaters, hats, and mittens for children and grandchildren. In later years, she knit thousands of squares for afghans to be donated to charities.

Beginning in 2015, Betsey spent winters at Kendal at Hanover, returning to Lake Morey in the summer. With the pandemic and advancing age, she moved permanently to Kendal. The McGrath family is deeply grateful to the many caregivers, staff, residents and administrators of Kendal at Hanover for the love, kindness and care extended to Betsey and our family.

A celebration of Betsey's life will be held at the Fairlee Town Hall on Sunday, November 9 at 1 pm. Contact the family if you wish to attend via zoom. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Betsey's memory to the Friends of the Fairlee Public Library (P.O. Box 125, Fairlee, VT 05045, fairleelibrary.com/donate), Fairlee Community Arts (P.O. Box 242, Fairlee, VT 05045, fairleearts.org/supporters), or your local library.