Elizabeth Theresa Grenville

Elizabeth “Betty” Grenville of Atlantic Beach, FL passed away peacefully on July 24, 2025, surrounded by her sister, brother-in-law, children, and grandchildren. She is survived by and missed deeply by her children, Philip Grenville, Linda Grenville, Sandy Grenville, and Roger Grenville, her sister, Dorothy “Dottie” Sansalone, and her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Donald T. Grenville, her daughter, Theresa “Terry” Grenville Amos, her parents, James and Dorothy Fowler, her sister Edith Fowler Walsh, and her brother Dick Fowler.

Betty was born on Nov. 29, 1932, to James and Dorothy Fowler, in Washington, D.C., the second of four children. Growing up in D.C., she enjoyed riding the streetcar into the city with her grandmother and playing on the banks of the Potomac River. She was a loving and beloved sister and cherished her relationships with her siblings all her life.

After graduating from Western High School in D.C. she worked at the map plant and later met her future husband in church. In 1952 she married Donald T. Grenville in Brookmont, MD. The two of them moved to West Palm Beach, FL, where they had their first three children. In 1962 they moved to Atlantic Beach, FL, and continued to raise their now five children.

Betty had a passion and gift for teaching and was especially dedicated to supporting children with learning disabilities. She began her career as a tutor at Hope Haven Hospital under Dr. Skinner in the late sixties. In the early seventies, she also taught English as a second language to locals, mostly Navy residents. She also used her teaching skills to support her children and grandchildren and always encouraged their intellectual curiosity and pursuits.

In 1975, while raising her family and attending college, she began working for the Duval County School Board at Fletcher Jr. High School in the guidance office and then became the principal’s secretary. In 1985 she graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in Special Education. She continued working in her position as secretary and followed the principal to Landmark Middle School, where she worked until she retired in 2001.

In retirement, she enjoyed a life full of family, spending as much time as she could with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her grandchildren remember how kind, gentle, and loving she always was with them. She loved playing card games, particularly Pinochle and Sequence, and could often be found sitting at the kitchen table chatting and playing cards with her family.

She also loved traveling around the country, often with one or more of her children. She had a quiet sense of adventure and appreciated the chance to explore beautiful places. She particularly loved visiting the mountains in North Carolina and New England and seeing the changing seasons she remembered from her childhood.

In so many areas of her life, she had an incredible capacity for delight and deeply enjoyed time spent with the people she cared about. She loved going to breakfast at Beach Diner and other local places and going out for dinner with her family and friends. In her private life, she was

always reading something new and was, at her core, a lifelong learner. She remains one of the smartest and most curious people her family ever knew. By all those who knew her, she is remembered for her brilliance, caring, graciousness, capability, and wit.

As her family grew, she remained as the heart and matriarch for all of us. In her final weeks, she reiterated how very proud she was of all her children and her love and gratitude for our “good family.” Her family meant the world to her, and she meant the world to everyone in it. She will always be missed by the many who love her.

A graveside service for Elizabeth will be held Tuesday, July 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM at H Warren Smith Cemetery, at the intersections of Beach Blvd and Penman Road, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250.