Obituary of Elizabeth Avery

Elizabeth "Betty" Avery June of 1929 - September 27, 2013 Plainfield - Elizabeth "Betty" Avery died peacefully on Friday September 27, 2013 at the age of 84. Betty was born in June of 1929 in Preston, the daughter of the late Richard W. and Anna (Schultz) Allyn Sr. She attended Norwich Free Academy. She married the late Walter R. Avery on September 10, 1949. Walter predeceased her on July 22, 2004. Betty drove for Norwich school bus routes and worked numerous years in the field of providing home and health care to individuals. She was an excellent cook and baker and especially enjoyed making wonderful, and delicious, holiday baked items. Betty learned cake decorating and candy making and then perfected those techniques by taking orders for decorated cakes, all types of cakes from doll cakes to wedding cakes. At Easter she would prepare panorama eggs crafted from sugar. Betty avidly collected, and used, many "slice and dice" kitchen gadget inventions, often discovered via infomercials. Her love of crafts was evident with her projects of knitting, crocheting, handmade braided rugs, liquid embroidery, and ceramics. Betty indeed had a green thumb whether it was an assortment of houseplants, vegetable gardening or greenhouse gardening. Betty loved having and taking care of her birds, and she had canaries, parakeets, zebra finches and love birds, although not all at the same time. She enjoyed summer tent camping with her young family at Rocky Neck State Park and at Bluff Point in Groton. Hopeville Pond, Mohegan Park and the Mohegan Park Rose Garden were favorite day outing destinations for Betty and her young family. Betty was an enthusiastic Red Sox fan and closely followed her favorite womens' basketball teams in their televised games. She was a music lover, and her favorites were Johnny Cash, Harry Belafonte, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and polka tunes. Betty enjoyed an evening out to play bingo and she enthusiastically played bingo at Colonial Health and Rehabilitation too. Betty is survived by two daughters and four sons: Judith Rice, Poulsbo, WA; Janet Knap, Littleton, NH; Jeffery (Karen), Meriden; John, Concord, VT; James, Guildhall, VT; Joseph, Jefferson, NH and 10 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. Additionally, Betty is survived by her brother Raymond, in Baltic, and by her sister Barbara Kent, in Groton. Two brothers, Richard Jr. and Thomas, predeceased her. A special note of appreciation and heartfelt thanks goes to Maria O'Connor for her loving help, visits and friendship to Betty. Thank you to Noah White of East Lyme Masonicare Home Health and Hospice for his professional dedication and compassionate care of Betty. Arrangements are private. Donations may be made to East Lyme Masonicare Home Health and Hospice, 339 Flanders Road, Suite 215, East Lyme, CT 06333 in Betty's memory.