Lucille J. Bettinger

Lucille June Bettinger Age 87, passed away on Saturday, May 16, 2015 at her home in Novato with her husband, John, at her side. Lucille grew up in Philadelphia, where she was born on December 8, 1927 to Paul and Marguerite Bretherick. She spent her summers on her father's boat on Chesapeake Bay and at their summer home in Wildwood Crest, N.J. She graduated from Philadelphia's Olney High School and then attended the University of Pennsylvania where she received both a bachelor's and master's degree in physical education. She then taught dance at Beaver College, now Arcadia University. In 1954 she married John C. Bettinger, MD. They then spent a year in London, where Lucille had received a dance scholarship. Lucille and John moved to San Francisco in the late 50's where John completed his medical training, and then moved to Marin in 1960 where they were longtime residents of Ross. An artist at heart, Lucille's greatest love, after her husband and family, was dance. A childhood fan of Shirley Temple, she donned tap shoes at age 4, a skill she passed on years later as choreographer for the Ross School PTA show. From age 5 she excelled in ballet, later performing with both the Pacific Ballet and the Royal Ballet, then teaching for many years at Marin Ballet and still taking classes there at age 85. Shortly after college she studied modern dance under Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey. Her love for and understanding of dance inspired her ballet classmates and students for decades. Branching out at age 60, she took up watercolors and was a prolific and accomplished painter for 25 years, gracing her family's homes with scenes of joyful beauty. She was born with a sense of adventure and maintained a youthful openness to try new things throughout her life. At age 22, she went to Hawaii, where she taught for 1 year at the King Kamehameha School. She raised St. Bernard puppies, performed in a College of Marin production of "Oklahoma!", toured ballet schools in the USSR, backpacked the Trinity Alps, and enjoyed frequent cross-country train trips back to Wildwood. In her 70's she became an avid horseback rider and cowgirl, riding the ranges with John both in Novato and along the Bridger Mountains near their summer home outside of Bozeman, MT. Along the way she raised five children who attended Williams, Stanford, Yale, Harvard, and Harvard. She taught them dance, painting, swimming, adventure, and, most importantly, how to have fun. Lucille is survived by her devoted husband of 60 years, John C. Bettinger, MD, her five children, Carl Bettinger, MD, JD, (Palmetto, FL), Paul Bettinger, MD (Casper, WY), John R. Bettinger, MD (Kentfield), Lise Rak, MD (Los Altos), Katie McMann, M.Ed., (Novato), her 12 grandchildren, and her brother, Robert Bretherick (West Palm Beach, FL). She is predeceased by her brother, Joseph Bretherick. A small service was held in May, and a memorial celebration will be held at 2:30 PM, Saturday, July 11, 2015, at the Marin Ballet, 100 Elm St., San Rafael. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Marin Ballet general scholarship fund are greatly appreciated.