Tricia Kagan Bettman, 67, died on June 19, 2018 in Jacksonville, FL. She was born in Brooklyn, NY, and was raised on Long Island. Tricia loved her family deeply. She was interested and engaged in their day-to-day activities and was steadfastly supportive of the things that were important to those she loved. She was the very best friend to so many people because she was genuine, dependable, and always present during the times that she was needed the most. She is already sorely missed by so many, and the indelible mark she made on all of us will not likely ever fade.
Tricia was a graduate of Syracuse University and obtained her Master’s Degree from Emory University. Her passion for history made her an excellent high school teacher and a faculty member at University of North Florida. For more than two decades she ran her own successful company, the North Florida Center for Training and Development. She taught seminars and was a motivational speaker for corporations and the military throughout the country.
She was the consummate volunteer who never stopped wanting to give back to her community, her synagogue, and her political interests. She believed strongly in social justice and worked at supporting local and national political campaigns. Tricia held previous leadership roles on Hadassah's local and regional board and the Jacksonville Jewish Center Sisterhood. Most recently, she delighted in her work as a docent at the Cummer Museum. Tricia was an avid reader of literature, particularly novels that dealt with Jewish history. She also ran a book club for seniors at the River Garden Hebrew Home.
Tricia is predeceased by her brother Gordon Seth Kagan, her grandparents Fanny and Joe Kagan, Carrie and Max Dinces, and her first husband, Paul Bloom. She leaves behind her husband Jack Bettman, her children Seth and Dorian Bloom (Troy Robison), her parents Norman and Rhoda Kagan, her sister Donna Kagan Buring, her nieces and nephews Jonathan, Falyn and Lance Buring, her stepchildren Herschel and Katie Bettman (Michael Napier), and her grandchildren Hayes and Arielle.
A graveside service will take place at 10:30 AM on Friday, June 22nd, at the New Center Cemetery, 200 E. 43rd St., Jacksonville. A meal of condolence will follow at the Jacksonville Jewish Center. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Tricia’s memory may be sent to the Jacksonville Jewish Center, Hadassah, or to River Garden Hebrew Home.
