Elizabeth A. "Betsy" O'Brien

Elizabeth A. "Betsy" O'Brien (nee O'Connor) of Amherst, August 11, 2025. Beloved wife of 59 years to the late James J. O'Brien; cherished mother of Kathleen, Mary, Eileen (Margot Rosen), Kevin (Carrie) and the late James J. O'Brien; dear mama and grandma of Audrey, Bodhi, Colin and Huck; sister of Gina (late Tim) Hartnett, Rosemary Catalano, Sr. Eileen O'Connor, RSM and the late Jack (Joan) O'Connor, Joan (late Norm) Engel, Jerry (late Diane) O'Connor, James (late Barbara) O'Connor and Betty (late Dick) Lochner; close friend of Sr. Cristel Mejia, RSM. Survived by many nieces and nephews.Family and friends may call at Perna, Dengler, Roberts Funeral Home 1671 Maple Rd, Williamsville on Sunday August 17, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Joseph University Parish, 3269 Main St, Buffalo, Monday, August 18, at 10:00 am. Online condolences can be shared at www.denglerrobertspernafuneral.com

Betsy O’Connor O’Brien grew up in a large, loving South Buffalo Irish family as the seventh of nine children. She attended St. Marks’ grammar school for several years while her father was the caretaker of the vacant Darwin Martin House on Jewett Parkway and the family lived in the carriage house. She felt pride and forever tied to that house and enjoyed attending tours and other events there.

Betsy went on to Bishop McMahon High School before the family moved to Blasdell where she graduated from Immaculata Academy. After high school she would tell of having one day off before she started her career as a secretary at General Mills. She enjoyed the work and made several lifelong friends there.

When Betsy and her husband Jim began a family, she stayed home to raise their children in Amherst where they sent their kids to St. Benedict’s grammar school, Sacred Heart and St. Joe’s high schools. Betsy’s Catholic faith was the foundation of her life; she was generous, optimistic, and compassionate, and told us to always look out for the person in the room who’s not talking to anyone else.

Betsy and Jim were married for 59 years before his death and throughout that time reserved Thursday nights for a cocktail hour at home with a Manhattan and cheese and crackers. Betsy delighted in being a mother and grandmother and was a joyful presence in the home who created her own games to occupy the kids.

Betsy returned to administrative work after all the kids were in school and she retired from UB where she was a proud employee for 25 years. She enjoyed the education environment and the many colleagues she turned into friends.

Betsy was an avid reader, a talented scrabble player, and an engaged follower of current events and the news. She was a fervent writer of letters to the editor at the Buffalo News and to others with whom she disagreed, most notably Charles Schultz (because she fumed that Lucy always pulled the football away from Charlie Brown and thought it a terrible lesson for kids). Betsy was a curious person who loved learning; she was a faithful Jeopardy viewer and began learning Spanish in her 70s. Betsy was also a tennis player for 45 years before enthusiastically switching to pickleball in her later years. She also enjoyed golf, walking, and rollerblading until she turned 70 and thought she was pushing her luck. Her favorite week every year was the August week at Crescent Beach where she gathered the whole family under one roof. Betsy was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, had a keen sense of humor, and was an all-around class act.