Elizabeth Barnitz Gladish

I first knew and loved Betsy in 1966 as my precious wife, innocent and adorable, yearning to be inseparable. Then I knew and loved Betsy as a precious mother, totally devoted to our children succeeding in every phase of their lives. Later I knew and loved Betsy as a divinely inspired grandmother filled with God’s unconditional love.

The most important aspect of this memorial is to honor Betsy for her lifetime service to God, through her lifetime service to Sunrise Chapel. She began her thirty-seven years of Sunrise Chapel Service by training to ultimately become one of the most beloved and significant spiritual growth directors for Rev Frank Rose in all phases of his ministry. Frank and Louise Rose moved out to Tucson in 1982. Betsy and I moved out here in 1984.

When Spiritual Growth Groups began in 1988, she was one of the first to sign in. When Arizona Mountain Camp was established, she was the first to step up and become the Camp Director with the longest service. When Women’s Group was formed, she was one of the first and the longest leaders—for the rest of her life. When Sunrise Chapel needed donations, she measurably increased ours as needed.

When there were Annual and Semi-Annual Meetings, her reports were always on time and always significant. She consistently supported the congregation and the congregation members with every proposal she considered. Whenever we had guests and visitors, they and we always remember Betsy being the first to extend the warmth of her love through greetings and welcome.

I honor Betsy for pledging her life to Sunrise Chapel, to Rev Frank Rose, and to his unprecedented vision and evolvement of Sunrise Chapel. She pledged her loyalty to Louise Rose as well, looking up to Louise, along with Frank, as the models for the highest level of an ideal marriage. Louise’s third level of service, beyond her exceptional marriage, and the raising of a family full of promising talents, belonged to her exclusive devotion to Sunrise Chapel and to any task or duty she was called on to carry out. Betsy was the “right-hand leader” for both Frank and Louise.

I honor Betsy in all to which she put her hand and mind. I honor Sunrise Chapel for all it meant to her. And all it meant to me. I honor Sunrise Chapel and all its constituents down through the years, for all the myriad blessings and enrichment they brought to Betsy’s and my life. Betsy had the most seniority in the ranks of all the highly respected secondary leaders of Sunrise Chapel. She served Almighty God and Sunrise Chapel by continuing her dedication and service through three pastors and leaders of Sunrise Chapel: the Rev Frank Rose, the Rev Glenn Alden, and the Rev Nathan Gladish. During her years as Activities Director at a highly respected Retirement Community, she exhibited the same golden traits.

Every person, giving or sending final thoughts directed toward Betsy during or after her Memorial Service, focused primarily on the most beloved traits or gifts of God she had honed to perfection: always loving and channeling God’s love to all she met and worked with. Always thoughtful, looking for new ways to think, to act, and to help Sunrise Chapel’s growth and happiness, but just as focused on the growth and the happiness of everybody to whom she came into contact.

She was always accepting and positive, looking for ways to welcome new growth. Her middle name was Gratitude. She lived gratefully every day. She taught grateful every day, despite being in mounting continual pain with psoriatic arthritis since her college years. In direct contrast to me, she never complained. But I immediately intend to honor Betsy’s life by paying it forward, by becoming much more like her, and by carrying high her banner of love and gratitude.

Betsy learned the traits Jehovah God taught Moses. He was humble and submissive. Not in the beginning. He killed an Egyptian in a fit of anger. But God worked with him. To become our truly first Biblical leader, Moses had to have more than courage. And with God’s leadership, he developed divine qualities for the rest of his life. In addition to being humble and submissive to God, he became one to never take offense, always one to answer mildly, despite fierce opposition. In time we read, “Moses was by far the meekest of all the men on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

Betsy stands tall in the shadow of Moses. She like me knew and loved the Beatitudes. For example, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” We cannot draw close to God without humility. I call another Biblical leader as inspirational for Betsy. Samuel (Samuel 3:10-18). The third time God called him and got his attention, Samuel replied, “Speak, for thy servant is listening….” The next morning Eli the prophet as a mouthpiece of God called him and said, “Samuel my son.” And Samuel answered, “Here I am,” with the implication, “Send me.”

Betsy’s answer was always the same. “Here I am, God. Send me.” And the last words she may have heard upon her passing away. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:23).

Stephen Gladish