Elizabeth Chase Thunman

Betsy was born in San Diego, California, on December 26, 1932. She was one of five siblings and the last surviving of her family.

Betsy led a remarkable and eventful life. She grew up as a Navy brat, so perhaps it was only fitting that she would later marry a Naval officer and continue a life of frequent moves and new adventures. Apparently, she liked to move! She married Naval Officer Nils Ronald Thunman, who ultimately retired as a Vice Admiral in the 1990s. She was an unwavering source of support to her husband throughout his distinguished naval career, making the many demands and transitions of military life look remarkably easy. They were married for 38 years before their marriage ended in divorce.

Throughout her life, Betsy was devoted to volunteering and serving others. She served as a “Gray Lady” with the American Red Cross, taught swimming, and helped certify young swimmers. At just 16, she was already supervising a secretarial pool that included women in their 40s. She later worked for the Athletic Director at the U.S. Naval Academy and became affiliated with members of the Olympic swimming and rowing teams of the 1950s. During her husband's naval career, she played an active leadership role in the officers' wives clubs at each duty station, organizing events and supporting numerous charitable causes. She also worked for the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C., and the Navy Relief Society (now the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society) during the 1980s.

Betsy became an active member of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, where she served as a reader at many Masses and volunteered on behalf of St. Leo's at the Fairfax City Lamb Center. She was also a proud and active member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

After returning to the Washington, D.C., area, Betsy began working full-time at the Fairfax County Courthouse for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She actually enjoyed preparing dockets for Traffic Court! Her precise attention to detail and cheerful disposition earned her the affection and respect of her colleagues. She retired in 2000.

Betsy had a wide range of interests and talents. She loved to cook—she could make just about anything! She was especially known for her tacos, a delicious lamb dinner at Easter, and her famous greens, which her daughter-in-law particularly loved. She also loved painting, was a voracious reader, and was rarely without a crossword puzzle. She was especially admired for her knitting and made and donated countless hats and scarves over the years. She also enjoyed weaving baskets and made baby baskets that held all three of her grandchildren.

But Betsy's favorite pastime was anything that involved her grandchildren. She attended as many of their activities and events as possible, camera in hand, taking countless pictures. By the end of every event, everyone knew who she was—and they knew all about her grandchildren! Her house was forever covered with things she had printed out that had anything to do with them. She would knit scarves in their school colors or in a favorite color they happened to mention. She was also known to knit sweaters for her grandchildren's friends. One particularly famous sweater was adorned with Christmas lights, helping its recipient win an ugly sweater contest. Betsy was the ultimate Gramma!

Her life included some truly extraordinary experiences. While stationed in Guam, she participated in the historic airlift of Vietnamese refugees following the fall of Saigon in 1975. While living in Florida, she organized a birthday celebration for 500 people in honor of entertainer Bob Hope. On another memorable occasion, she joined Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter in singing “Happy Birthday” to Admiral Hyman Rickover, widely known as the Father of the Nuclear Navy.

Betsy also took great pride in her family's naval heritage, which included several distinguished naval officers and admirals dating back to the Spanish-American War.

She is survived by her two sons, Nils Ronald Thunman, Jr. (Mindy), of Herndon, Virginia, and Michael Erik Thunman, of Fairfax, Virginia; and her three grandchildren, Carl Erik Thunman (Serena), of New York, New York; Nicholas Michael Thunman, of Gainesville, Florida; and Natalie Britt Thunman, of Herndon, Virginia.

Betsy's life was defined by service, resilience, generosity, and an extraordinary collection of experiences. She leaves behind a lasting legacy in the many lives she touched, the causes she supported, and, most importantly, the family and friends who will remember her with love.