Bess "Betty" (Katzen) Brenner

Devoted daughter of her late parents, Alice (Blyden) and Harry Katzen. Loving and devoted wife of the late Rubin Brenner who passed in 1994. Beloved mother of Mark Brenner and his wife Karen Brenner of Norwood, David Brenner and his wife Katy Abel of West Roxbury, Susan Feldman and her husband Joel Feldman of Bedford, NH and Judy Swartz and her husband Neal Swartz of Ashland. Cherished grandmother of Rebecca Barnehama and her husband Ezra, Arielle Williams and her husband Ben, Samuel Brenner and his wife Ryan, Rubin Brenner, Zachary, Hannah and Mikayla Feldman, and Jared and Allison Swartz. Great grandmother to Ayla and Eli Barnehama and Charlotte Williams. Loyal sister of Dorothy Israel and the late Leah Gordon and Sarah Lipkowitz. Cherished aunt to her many nieces and nephews.

Betty was born in Boston, MA. She was a graduate of the Jeremiah Burke High School in Dorchester. After a trolley car romance between Chelsea and Dorchester, Betty, then a secretary and stenographer, and Rubin, a machinist, married and started their family in 1950 near Franklin Field in Dorchester. They moved to Peabody in 1963 where they raised their four children and Betty remained till she moved to Brookline in 2016. In later years when asked her occupation she would without hesitation state ‘homemaker’. A woman of the Greatest Generation, she reveled in domestic life, always there for her children when they came home from school, making sure there was a hot meal and fresh baked goods on the kitchen table every evening.

Nothing mattered more to Betty than family. Within her marriage she epitomized the term “in sickness and in health.” Any disagreements between her children were met with the quiet refrain of “love each other.” Whether counseling her children, her siblings and their children, or her friends, her reminder was always to put relationships first. She taught through example, living a life devoted to the care of others. An accomplished baker, many waistlines expanded over the years as family and friends enjoyed her mandel bread, chocolate chip cookies and other assorted treats. She took pride in her cake decorating talents by making special occasion, multi-tiered decorated cakes. No one ever left her table hungry.

Throughout her life Betty also contributed to the security of her family. When her father’s shoe business closed due to WWII rationing, she first entered the workforce earning twenty-five cents per hour at a downtown five and dime store. When the recessions of 1970’s hit the Brenner household she returned to part-time work as a retail clerk in a women’s clothing store. Betty had an eye for putting together the perfect ensemble for her customers. Faced with a cut in hours, Betty and her co-workers joined the Retail Clerks Union, won union recognition and then struck for their first contract. She outlasted many managers and ownership structures of her store when she left the industry after 35 years as a member of UFCW Local 1445.

In retirement, Betty enjoyed mah jong and canasta games with friends, and was a prolific walker through the neighborhoods of Peabody and Brookline.

The family would like to thank the many health care professionals and caregivers who allowed our mother to live her life with dignity and grace. We would especially like to thank Ruth Nalugy for her compassion and support during our mother’s final days.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Chapel Service on Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 11 AM at Stanetsky Memorial Chapel, 475 Washington Street, Canton, MA. Burial will follow at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham Street, Sharon, MA. There will be a shiva following the burial at the home of Mark and Karen Brenner, Norwood, MA until 4:00 PM and from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

The chapel service will be livestreamed at https://tinyurl.com/BBrennerFuneral or click on join livestream below.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Betty’s name can be made to Dress for Success at Boston.Dressforsuccess.org or a charity of your choice.