Elizabeth A. (Buckleitner) Farese

Elizabeth Ann Farese, affectionately known as “Betty” by her family and friends, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at the Village at Brookfield Common Assisted Living facility in Brookfield, CT. Born on March 28, 1931 in New Rochelle, NY, Betty was able to celebrate her 93rd birthday with family and friends by her side.

Betty was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend to many, as well as a devout Catholic. She married at the age of 20 and went on to raise three children. Tragically, her first husband, Jack Schmidt, died unexpectedly at the age of 41 after a brief illness. As a single mom, Betty carried on, as only she could, and reentered the workforce as a Teacher’s Aide in the Clarkstown South School District. She eventually met and married her second husband, Gabriel (Gabe) Farese, who was a Guidance Counselor at Clarkstown South. After retiring from her position as a Teacher’s Aide, she and Gabe spent many happy years at their shore house in Barnegat, NJ, where their family and friends enjoyed their hospitality on many occasions.

Betty loved to travel extensively, and was an avid reader, crossword puzzle aficionado, and master of the “One-Armed Bandit” casino circuit in Atlantic City. Some of her many travel adventures included cruises to Alaska, the Panama Canal, and the Caribbean, as well as a once in a lifetime trip to Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, on a pilgrimage to the site of reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary. 

Betty is pre-deceased by her husband Gabriel, and is survived by her two daughters, Jeanne and Linda, and her son Robert, as well as six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

A funeral mass is being held at St. Mary’s Church, located at 26 Dodgingtown Road in Bethel, CT, on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. A lunch reception in Betty’s honor will follow at Armando’s Restaurant, located at 47 Stony Hill Road in Bethel, CT.

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