Betty Bernice (Davis) Stretton

Betty Bernice Stretton, age 99 of Newtown, formerly of Westport, passed away Saturday May 11, 2019 at Filosa Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Danbury surrounded by her family. She is the widow of Thomas E. Stretton.

Betty was born May 27, 1919 in Omaha, NE, a daughter of the late Walker and Bernice (Penland) Davis. She was a 1936 graduate of Glendale High School, Glendale, CA, obtained her Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA in 1940 and a Master’s Degree from USC in 1942. Betty served in the WAVES during WWII stationed at the Naval base in Pensacola, FL as a Control Tower Operator. It is here that she met her future husband, Thomas Stretton, a Navy pilot. They married at Pensacola on December 1, 1944. She was employed for a time as librarian at Rockland Community College in Suffern, NY. Betty has been a resident of Connecticut since 1977 when she moved to Westport and was a member of the Greens Farms Congregational Church. She liked reading, gardening and studying history. Betty loved learning different languages, making her seven years living in Taiwan and Tokyo most enjoyable.

Betty is survived by two daughters; JoAnne Stretton of Newtown, Bernice Stretton  Slater and partner Ross Uhlfelder of Staatsburg, NY, her son Thomas E. Stretton Jr and wife Shelby of Long Valley, NJ; four grandchildren: Jessica Stretton and partner Brian MacMillan of Manhattan, Kendra Slater Venhorst and husband Matthew of Simsbury, CT, Douglas Slater and wife Kara of West Simsbury, CT and Stephanie Slater of Boston, MA,  two step-grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She is predeceased by two sons: Frederick and James Stretton.

A graveside service will be held on Thursday afternoon May 16, 2019 in the Willowbrook Cemetery, Westport at 1:00pm.

Memorial may be made to the World Wildlife Fund at:   worldwildlife.org

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