Elizabeth (Bryan) Rosenbaum

Elizabeth (Bryan) Rosenbaum, 95, of Cheshire, CT (formerly of Watertown, CT and Dallas, TX) died in her home on Friday, September 20, 2019. She was born in Waterbury, CT on April 25, 1924, the daughter of Wilfred B. Bryan and Faith (Bassett) Bryan. She was the wife of the late H. Gilbert Rosenbaum for 58 years.

Elizabeth (aka Betty to most) was definitely a woman before her time. She graduated from Skidmore College, Class of 1946 with a B.S. in Chemistry, long before there was any talk of too few females in STEM fields. It is no surprise that both her daughters had careers in the sciences. After graduation, Betty was employed by the Naugatuck Chemical Company for several years. Later, she served as the children's librarian in the Watertown, CT Library from 1968 to 1986. After retirement, she worked as an independent book indexer (primarily of accounting books) with a friend from the Connecticut Cactus and Succulent Society.

Betty had a broad range of interests that were evident throughout her life. She loved classical music, especially organ and choral works. She enjoyed singing in church choirs and along with her family, had season tickets to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for many of the years they lived in Texas. Betty and her husband had a large record collection. She generously passed her love of music to her two daughters, along with the dust on the records.

Betty had a keen interest in all aspects of the natural world. She was an avid gardener, and never met a dog or cat she did not like. Although she appreciated the advantages of computers and email, she preferred to write letters and send beautiful cards. Betty loved poetry and wrote both serious verse and limericks, which captured the essence of her experiences and life events. She shared her love of poetry and writing with the Elim Park Community, where she was a member of two poetry groups and ran a writing group for several years.

All of Betty's survivors are scientists who are interested in music: her two daughters, Hazel R. Allen of Bolton, CT, and Paula F. Rosenbaum and her husband, Jacques Lewalle, of Syracuse, NY; her grandchildren Sarah Elizabeth Allen of Duncansville, PA and Philippe Lewalle of Rochester, NY; her brother, Wilfred B. Bryan, Jr. of Rio Rancho, NM, and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her son-in-law, Robert W. Allen.

A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on November 23, 2019 in Nelson Hall at Elim Park, 150 Cook Hill Road, Cheshire, CT 06410. A private burial will take place in Evergreen Cemetery. The Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Cheshire, 615 South Main St, 06410 is assisting the family with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: the Resident Benevolent Fund at Elim Park, 150 Cook Hill Road, Cheshire, CT 06410 or to the Skidmore Fund, directed to Scholarship, North Hall, Skidmore College, 815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.