Mary B Gilgoff

Born in Brooklyn on Feb. 2, 1954, Mary--Known to her family as Betsy--was diagnosed with a heart defect at birth and was not expected to live very long. That ordeal and other medical challenges throughout her life made her a fierce and independent spirit who refused to let her diagnoses prevent her from living the life she wanted.

Betsy was a passionate and beloved special education teacher in New York City public schools before moving into administration as ab assistant principal. She stopped eating meat as a young person and was famous in her extended family for making Junior's cheesecake for the holidays. she accompanied her brother and their family on road trips to Florida to her father, Seymour Gilgoff, on on trips to Puerto Rico, New Orleans and elsewhere. When Seymour was alive they sometimes cruised together and engaged in competitive dieting.

Even as her health declined as an older adult, Betsy relished living on her own in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, walking to the grocery store to hunt for bargains. After she retired she continued to tutor her students, often taking public transit vans for the handicapped to and from appointments.

Betsy suffered a cardiac event while recovering from a recent fall at the Norwegian Christian Home in Brooklyn. Betsy is survived by her brother David of Breinigsville, PA, nephews Benjamin Gilgoff of Doylestown, PA, Daniel Gilgoff of Bethesda, MD and Joshua Gilgoff of Tripoli, PA , along with great-nephews and great-nieces.

Betsy will be buried at Mount Carmel Cemetery on Monday, November 27, 2023 at a Graveside Ceremony for family.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ijmorrisbrooklyn.com for the Gilgoff family.