"Remembering Mom Betty was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandma. A favorite aunt to many nieces and nephews, she kept her extensive family nourished and nurtured through her well-known, unparalleled culinary skills and her generous spirit. She was famous for her chocolate cake, lemon meringue pies, wedding cakes, crumb cakes and other treats that sweetened life for so many. Meals prepared by Betty were real comfort food, food for body and soul. From breads to beef stew, her numerous specialties fed scores of households beyond her own. Betty was a homemaker; in plain terms, she was a true ?maker of homes.? Not only for her family, but also for the many area households that employed her. She didn?t build with brick and mortar. Instead, she accomplished ?home? with love, creativity, humility, and a diversity of well-honed skills that served her loved ones and her neighbors well. An excellent cook, seamstress, decorator, and manager, Betty had the ability to look beyond the obvious and imagine possibilities, to find beauty in the ordinary and the overlooked. She?d coax out that beauty and nurture it, so that it transformed mundane spaces into places of warmth and welcome. She had a knack for making every occasion special. Whether it was a lawn wedding for 200, a dinner party for 8, a birthday picnic, or a backyard camping adventure with her grandkids, Betty made them celebrations of comfort and content. A sharp wit and wicked sense of humor were two of Betty?s most appreciated and endearing gifts. Though she artfully wielded both to keep us grounded, ?in line and on our toes,? she also used them to connect with others, to inspire hope and healing, and to just make us laugh so hard that we?d forget our troubles. Her way with words was a wonder to behold! Betty cared deeply about the welfare of animals, particularly dogs. She provided ?home? for so many, including several strays who uncannily found their way to her front porch or backyard, were nursed back to health by her compassion, and became beloved family pets. She was a rescuer at heart. Driven by love for all creatures great and small, she opened her hands and heart to give them a safe and healthy place to thrive. Betty?s life was one of radical hospitality: home and hearth, heart and hand, haven and healing. She was the person you called on when something needed to get done or when a hurt needed mending. A problem-solver, organizer, and dependable ally, she would move heaven and earth to help a hungry or hurting soul. Betty?s radical hospitality extended well beyond the safe harbor of her kitchen. Family members, friends, and neighbors sought her wisdom and support. Her generous lap and comforting hugs provided sanctuary for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a strong, straightforward woman who faced and overcame life?s challenges with great courage and faith. With loving, skilled hands and a generous heart, Betty created ?home? for all whose lives she touched. For us, her family, she was the rock upon which our safe, warm haven was built. She was our north star and though we miss her, her light continues to shine, guiding us, comforting us, feeding us with her love. "
In loving memory of
Betty J. Busick
January 5, 1927 - March 12, 2021
Betty Busick, 94, of West Park, NY, passed away on Friday, March 12, 2021 at home, surrounded by her family.
She was born on January 5, 1927 in Poughkeepsie, NY and was the daughter of the late Joseph and Mary McCarthy Jones.
Betty was married on March 12, 1947 to John Busick of Highland.
She was a lifelong congregant of Church of the Ascension in West Park.
Betty is survived by her children, John J. Busick and Mary Ellison (Mark), both of West Park. In addition to her children, Betty is survived by 3 grandchildren, Michael Ellison (Kim), Suzanna Ellison Paserba (Todd), and Christina Ellison, as well as 5 great-grandchildren: Logan, Autumn, and Teagan Ellison and Abigail and Emelia Paserba, all of Highland. She is also survived by a sister, Bertha Bonesteel and a brother, William. Several nieces and nephews also survive.
Betty is predeceased in death by her husband, John Busick, her sisters, Mary Jerstad and Margaret Sullivan, and her brothers Joseph, Edward, and Vincent Jones.
Cremation, Interment, and Memorial Service are private.
Contributions in Betty's memory may be made to Ulster County SPCA, 20 Wiedy Drive, Kingston, NY 12401; www.ucspca.org.
Tributes
"My condolences to the Busick/Ellison family. My thoughts and prayers are going out to you. Laura"