Elizabeth Rawlinson Rowe

Graveside Service:  Friday, February 2, 2018 at 11:00 a.m at Orient Central Cemetery, Orient, NY     Rev. Geoffrey Proud Officiating

****A Memorial Service will take place on Saturday, MAY 12, 2018 at the Orient Congregational Church with Rev. Dr. Ann Van Cleef Officiating*** Time will be Announced***

Elizabeth Rawlinson Rowe, better known by her classmates at Vassar College 1952 as "Betty Boop", left us on January 30, 2018 for a better place at the age of 87. Though she suffered no pain and never complained, much thanks to Julian Lewis and also Keasha King and Shameka Clark, she was confined to her bed at home over the last 6 months.

Born in Bronxville on September 18, 1930, raised in Scarsdale, Betty spent her summers in Orient in a home on the Sound that her grandfather, Dr. Gribbon had a local contractor build circa. 1915 (our present home is close by). These early years were a very happy time for her. Her parents were (Mary) Alice Gribbon Rowe d. 1960 and (James) Everett Rowe d. 1951. Her only siblings were Nancy Douglass d. 2000 and Eleanor Linderholm-Wood d. 2011. Betty attended Scarsdale High and graduated from Dana Hall.

She attained a B.A. Degree in Mathematics while at Vassar. She also received the Miss Vassar's Brew Award 1952 in connection with the 77 mile "Beer and Bikes from Yale to Vassar" event on April 12, 1952 as reported in the Life Magazine issue of April 28, 1952 that featured a photo of Betty wearing the MVBA Sash welcoming the exhausted Yale bikers.

Betty spent over 40 years of her life in Carson City, Nevada. While there she received the Carson City Soroptomist's Woman of the Year Award-1974 and Nevada's Governor's Art Award-1980. She was a member of the Lakeside Community Church in Reno, a charter member of the Carson City Landmark Society, the League of Women Voters, Founder Carson City Arts Alliance-1974 (now known as the Brewery Art Center), Director Carson City Chamber of Commerce and also Chairman of the Carson City Centennial, Bi-Centennial Commission 1974-1976. Further, during much of the time in Carson City, the Capitol of Nevada, she personally owned and managed State Agent and Transfer Syndicate, Inc. (a Resident Agent and Corporate Formation Service).

In addition, Betty being Betty, not only started the News Letter for the Navy League but was the Editor and Publisher for over a year after she left Carson City for Long Island to be with Walter in 2005. She became Navy League Carson City Council Vice-President in 2004 and Council president in 2005 and also served as Council Secretary 1989-2006 and the membership doubled from 90-184 due to her great recruitment skills.

Early on her return to Orient, Betty became a member of the Orient Congregational Church and involved herself with the Orient Yacht Club Newsletter and subsequently, the Shakespeare Club, the Southold Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (member and Regent) and other local organizations. However, her most important contribution upon her return to Orient was to be one of the leaders of the campaign which successfully repulsed the Suffolk County Water Authority's attempt to control Orient's ground water.

She also liked to snow ski and made many of her own beautiful clothes with a knitting machine.

Her children, (all successful and happily married) are; Elizabeth H. Van Wagenen (Bob), Kettner J.F. Griswold (Dana), Charles L. Block (Kaoru) and John E. Block (Susie).

Her grandchildren; Sheri E. Van Wagenen, Christine F. Van Wagenen-Briner, Mathew R. Van Wagenen, Dr. Ashley E. Griswold-Haggerty and Kettner J.F. Griswold Jr.

Other than the years spent as childhood playmates at the Sound Beach and a teen-age date to Coney Island, "Our Second Chance" was the happiest time of our lives. Betty was a remarkable woman and she loved me- Walter Strohmeyer.

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