Elizabeth Ann (Line) Seelye died Jan. 24, three days shy of her 78th birthday.

Betsy, as she was known, was the daughter of Clifford and Louise Steffen Lind. She attended schools in Burlington and graduated from Burlington-Edison High School in 1957. She went on to graduate in education from Western Washington University in 1961. She excelled academically at every level.

She married Marvin Seelye in 1961 and they lived in Oak Harbor, where they raised two children, Eric and Mark.

Betsy was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 1976 and it plagued her for the last half of her life, especially in later years. Difficult and exasperating as it could be, she was not one to complain or curse fate. She happily devoted herself to motherhood and with the activities of a cherished circle of friends in Oak Harbor as well as maintaining close ties with her many childhood friends and classmates.

Betsy liked picnics, holidays with family, camping trips, travel, card and board games, keeping up with current affairs and all forms of humor. Conversations with friends, Scrabble, and especially the Mary Tyler Moore Show were high on the list of favorites.

Betsy had an incredible group of friends who remained very close to her for her entire life. Some of her dearest friends had a monthly birthday club in Oak Harbor and they’d celebrate together – even if it meant picking up Betsy and dropping her off. There were also many get-togethers with her high school and college friends and she always cherished the time they could spend together.

Betsy also loved to play bridge, especially with her “bridge club” friends. She resided most recently at Country Meadows Village in Sedro-Woolley, whose members and staff filled up her days with entertainment, camaraderie, comfort and support. She loved living at Country Meadows and made numerous friends there, with both the staff and the residents.

Betsy is survived by her son Eric and his two sons, Lukas and Landon; brother Martin and his wife Diane; a nephew and niece, Nathan and Ellie; her former husband, Marvin; and two very special, nurturing souls, Donnette Lennox and Joanne Odegaard, both of whom helped her immensely during her last few years.

A celebration with Betsy’s friends and family is planned for a date to be determined and the family will be sending news on this as it becomes scheduled.