Elizabeth A. Majane

Betsy was born and raised in Philadelphia Pa and attended catholic schools including St. Helena’s elementary, Little Flower high school and Chestnut Hill College, her whole academic life until graduate school.

Finishing at the highest levels she was Benjamin Franklin scholar of the Benjamin Franklin Institute, Philadelphia and received honorable mention as a Westinghouse scholar. Betsy graduated with the highest general academic average and was awarded prizes in chemistry and mathematics. She was awarded several full tuition scholarships and selected a full 4 year scholarship to Chestnut Hill College where she graduated with a BS and honors in Chemistry in 1957.

During her college years she did research at the Fox Chase Cancer Institute, a world renowned organization. She was awarded a fellowship to the University of Wisconsin in physical chemistry in their Ph. D. program.

Showing brilliant judgement she married John Majane whom was studying for his MBA at the Wharton School and turned down the fellowship. From 1957 to 1958 she was in cancer research at Fox Chase Cancer Research Institute while studying biochemistry at Temple University.

In 1958 Betsy moved to Pacific Palisades, California where the first of our children, John 3rd, Carolyn and Joseph, were born in St. John’s Hospital, Santa Monica. While in California she studied mathematics at UCLA.

In 1962 the family moved to Washington DC where Kevin and Charles were born. In 1970 she joined the University of Maryland chemistry department to earn her PhD. but was frustrated when one after the other her advisors died and elected an MS in physical chemistry.

From 1975 to 1995 she published many scientific papers on opioid research at the National Institute of Mental Health at the St. Elizabeth facility. She was loved and respected by the post doc staff and her professional colleagues. As their responses show she was a ray of sunshine in what could be a scary world of Nobel prize hungry professionals, particularly before the me-too movement.

In 1995 she was named project manager in Dr. Fauci’s world renowned National Institute for Infectious Diseases for a large collection of mutant mice that were collected and dispensed world-wide specifically designed for immunology research.

In retirement, Betsy and her husband John traveled the world doing Aspen and Snowmass, Malooloobah, Sydney and Tasmania Australia where five of her ten grandchildren live and going to sea on her favorite ship the Queen Elizabeth 2 or later the Regatta series of small ships., South Africa, India, Shanghai before covid, Tokyo, Barcelona, Rio, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Bariloche,Tel Aviv, Cairo, Munich, Paris, Hamburg, London, and of course Bethany Beach, DE among many other destinations.

Betsy was truly a world class individual, mother, loving wife, scientist, program manager and personality.

She is survived by her husband, John Majane and her sons John III, Joseph, Kevin and Charles and her ten wonderfully amazing grandchildren.

We are all devastated by her passing.

In lieu of flowers please contribute to her favorite cause, Chestnut Hill College, 9601 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19118 attn: Institutional Advancement (HHH).