Bettina Quintavalle, née Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Barlow was born on Staten Island in 1916. She attended Curtis High School and received an early childhood teaching degree from Mills Training School in Manhattan. She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania. After several early childhood teaching positions in private schools she became a New York City Public School kindergarten teacher and taught for more than 20 years at PS 45, PS 8 and PS 12. She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph T. Quintavalle whom she married in 1943. She is survived by her son, J. Michael Quintavalle and wife Linda, her son David Quintavalle and partner Aimua Eghobamien, granddaughter Melissa Daniels and husband Alberto, and two grandchildren, Emma and Mateo.
She was an artist, poet, writer, knitter and member of the American Association of University Women. Several of her memoirs childhood on Staten Island appeared in the Staten Island Advance. She touched many lives and will be very much missed.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in her honor to either:
Seamans Church Institute, Christmas at Sea, for which she knit for over 70 years: donate.seamenschurch.org/give
Staten Island Hope Animal Rescue, for her beloved cats and dogs: www.statenislandhopeanimalrescue.org/donate