Obituary of Virginia Betts

Virginia Betts, 82, beloved sister, grandmother, mom, and friend died peacefully at home with her family on October 30 in Bremen, Maine.

Virginia (Ginny, as she was known by many) was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on February 23, 1942 to Margaret Bannerman Betts and John Morris Cotgrave Betts, joining sisters Penelope and Martha. The three Betts girls enjoyed singing, playing with paper dolls, and summers spent at Blue Point, New York where they and their cousins kept busy sailing and making up silly rhymes. Virginia’s love of horses began at summer camp when she was nine and lasted her whole life.

In 1969, Virginia married her high school friend Vince Collins. The pair settled in western Maine where they raised cows, pigs, tomatoes, corn, peas, strawberries, and eventually two children, Meredith and Bennett. Virginia and Vince went their separate ways but became friendly again and lived near each other in their later years, enjoying time together with their grandchildren. Virginia was also married later in life to Richard Koubek. 

For many years Virginia worked as a speech therapist in the local public schools. In addition to her professional duties, she considered herself responsible for such things as dressing up in outlandish costumes and performing assorted shenanigans, to the amusement of her colleagues and students (and utter mortification of her own children). 

Virginia thought of herself as both a country and city mouse, always torn between a quiet life among trees and wildlife and a more bustling existence in closer proximity to restaurants, museums, and the ballet. She traveled extensively when she was young and into her later years, and was a loyal sender of postcards and bringer of gifts from her journeys.

A practicing Quaker, Virginia was committed to working for a just and harmonious world. She spent several summers volunteering at Seeds of Peace in Otisfield, Maine, supporting the chaperones of Middle Eastern delegations as they explored Maine together. She also volunteered at the Ecumenical Food Pantry in Newcastle and served on the Bremen Conservation Commission. 

Virginia loved the winter holidays, keeping an eye out for gifts throughout the year, gathering loved ones to celebrate the returning of the light on the winter solstice, and keeping (carefully) to the tradition of lighting actual candles on the Christmas tree amongst the array of ornaments she collected in her travels.

Though she very much longed for grandchildren, Virginia refrained from pressuring her children to provide them. Instead she became an honorary grandparent to children of friends and neighbors, keeping a collection of books, toys, and art supplies on hand. Her patience in the wait for her own grandchildren was rewarded in 2021 when to her glee a first grandchild, Gillen, was born. A second grandchild, Patrick, followed in 2023 and the two kept Virginia engaged and delighted through the final years and months of her life. 

Virginia is predeceased by her parents, Peg and Jack Betts, sister Penny and brother-in-law Terry Colby. She is survived by her sister Marty, her children and grandchildren, daughters-in-law Christa Thorpe and Jessamyn Schmidt, and many nieces, nephews, in-laws, and dear friends and found family of all ages.

Virginia Betts was adventurous, curious, mischievous, knowledgeable, creative, silly, and loyal. She made friends everywhere she went. She is missed and remembered with much love.

A gathering to celebrate Virginia’s life will be held November 23, 2024 in Maine. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to Doctors Without Borders.