Betsy Kennedy

She grew up Colonial Village PA, the middle child of 5 girls. Her younger days were mostly lived on horseback, competing in horse shows and galloping with sisters (Pat, March, Leslie and Lynn) and friends on dirt roads in what is now busy Valley Forge. She was a consummate equestrian from a young age. Her love of horses, the joy of their soft noses and the smell of a barn were always in her blood.

At the age of 19, she married Bill Carson and soon had two children - Kimberly and Kathleen. One child was a lot calmer and easier, but we won't name names here. Bill's work transferred the family to Mahwah, New Jersey, where Paddywack, the most stubborn shetland pony ever, became a valuable member of the family. A core Mahwah memory was Betsy wading in waist high flood water, with uprooted rattlesnakes swimming around her, to save Paddywack's bridle and saddle. Paddywack was not the only stubborn one.

The family was then transferred to a quaint, storybook town in Massachusetts. Friends, playing cards, riding and showing the ponies, ice skating and playing in the snow kept everyone busy. She was blessed to become friends with a neighbor, Pat Booth. Their friendship continued for life. Betsy was thrilled to have a long conversation with Pat just a couple of weeks before she passed.

The family was transferred again around 1970 to South Carolina where people talked very slowly and said y'all. It felt foreign at first, but it quickly became home. Betsy established and managed Fox Rest Farm. She and Bill were blessed with a third daughter, Jennifer. Betsy reveled in her time training, boarding and showing horses; playing with her kids, laughing with friends in the barn and time with her dalmatians, Sam, Tabby and Teardrop.

In 1975, now divorced, in her 30s, and having sold the farm, she took the non-traditional path of becoming a top 40 disc jockey. She excelled and her talents took her to radio stations from Camden SC, to Columbia, SC to Spartanburg SC and finally Harrisburg, PA. She spun records under the name Betsy Kay. She was a local celebrity. Her teenage kids were sometimes proud and sometimes horrified.

After many years of DJing, she changed course and went into real estate where she proudly wore the Century 21 Gold jacket.

After twenty years, she retired to Lexington, South Carolina, fulfilling a longstanding dream of living on the lake, buying a Ford Mustang convertible, and playing golf. She never, ever grew tired of her big water view. Ever. It brought her endless peace and happiness. She joined a wonderful golf group and spent many beautiful days with friends out on the course. She was very proud to have made TWO holes in one. Life was great.

In retirement, she joined forces with an organization which provided lunch to the homeless. She took it one step further and began making cookies to hand out. Her kitchen took on the look of a professional company as she churned out hundreds of cookies each month. While she loved providing the cookies, she took the most joy in talking with the recipients and hearing their stories. She affectionately became known as The Cookie Lady. She also volunteered with Meals on Wheels - delivering meals and talking with the folks.

Her baking skills were not limited to those cookies. Christmas season meant family horseshoe cookies and homemade sticky buns. Sadly, her kids did not inherit her baking skills and baking patience (you have to let the dough rise for how long?!). The family welcomes anyone who would take on the task of making these for the holidays this year, as a Christmas without her signature baked goods seems unimaginable.

Unfortunately, she dealt with a relentless onslaught of serious physical problems that limited her mobility and put her in perpetual treatment and healing mode. She was always stretching her imagination and MacGyver-like skills to craft contraptions to help with this. Her well-known stubborn streak, which sometimes made her kids' heads explode, is what got her through these tough times. She also had the help of her kids, neighbors, and friends. She felt incredibly lucky to be so loved. Thank you, Warren. You were a Godsend. Even with all she dealt with, she still lived with joy, humor, and gratitude.

She was competitive and a force in all things obviously, and cards were no exception. There was no mercy and "A card laid is a card played" is etched in the minds of all who played her favorite games - normally canasta or spite and malice. She played cards right up until the end with a final game of spite and malice the day before she died.

Her cats, Rossi and Rach, named after characters from Friends, her absolute favorite TV show ever, brought her an abundance of joy. She loved them with her whole heart. They are being loved and cared for in a way that would make her so happy.

On September 12, 2024, Betsy died unexpectedly. She was in her beloved lake condo, with Rossi and Rach, and in the arms of someone she loved. The script could not have been written any better.

As her final, and most incredible gift, Betsy left a letter for her daughters to open after her death. It was full of love, gratitude, and pride. This letter will be cherished forever.

She is survived by her children, Kim, Kathy, Jenny (Joe); grandchildren, Carson, William and Reese; and wonderful nieces and nephews. She is also survived by three women who started as caregivers, quickly became friends, became family and are her second set of girls. Thank you, Laura Simoes Cochran, Jan Carter and Rhonda Coleman. You are all so loving and wonderful and “Bets” was blessed to have you in her life.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Harvest Hope Food would be a beautiful way to memorialize Betsy.

Please join us to celebrate the life of Betsy Kennedy on October 7th, 2024 at Providence Lutheran Church at 2 PM located at 840 Old Chapin Road in Lexington.