Betsy Connelly passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at Rivercrest Nursing Home in Concord, MA with her husband, Mark, by her side. She was born Helen Elizabeth Cooke in Hinsdale, IL on July 2, 1928, the youngest of five children of Vernon and Hazel Cooke. Betsy's formative years were spent in Pawtucket, RI, where her father was a Congregational minister and her mother played the organ for the church and wrote plays and operettas (in which the children all performed). The family also had a farmhouse near Pawtucket, where her father maintained a large vegetable garden that supplied the family and many parishioners with fresh produce during the Depression. Betsy was very active in high school, participating in tennis, basketball, badminton, swimming and theater. In 1946, she followed in the footsteps of her mother Hazel and sister Lorna, and enrolled at Wellesley College. After three years at Wellesley, she decided to transfer to Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Providence, RI. It was while studying there that she met a graduate student in Physics at Brown University: Mark Connelly. Betsy and Mark married on March 15, 1952 in a service officiated by her father. Mark was working at MIT and Betsy worked at the MIT Whirlwind Lab. In 1957, they moved to the Conantum neighborhood of Concord, MA, where they raised their four children: Todd (deceased), twins Sarah & Robin, and Scott. Over the years, there were also many pets. At one point, Betsy estimated they were feeding 26 mouths! Betsy & Mark were very active in the First Parish Church in Concord, and were early leaders of the Youth Group. Betsy also found an outlet for her creative energy with the Concord Players. She was involved in many Concord Players productions including "The King and I", "Once Upon a Mattress", "A Taste of Honey", "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail", "Riders to the Sea", "Equus" and "Evita". Betsy was President of Concord Players during the 1976 Bicentennial celebration. In 1988, she won the Best Actress award at the New England Theater Conference competition for her role as Fanny in "Painting Churches". For many years, Betsy led the annual Conantum Holiday Sing-Along. In the late 1970's, Betsy worked at "The Potting Shed" as an artisan and became very skilled at painting "the Dedham rabbit" on reproduction Dedham Pottery pieces. Betsy also enjoyed working at Concord Spice & Grain. One of Betsy's greatest joys was gathering her extended family together, most especially at Thanksgiving and at family reunions at Lake Mashapaug. Some of her most treasured memories were of sailing adventures with her friends in the Concord Sailfishing Group. Betsy is survived by her devoted husband of 64 years, Mark Connelly; her children & their spouses: Sarah & Rob Caless, Robin & Larry Walden, Scott & Diana Connelly, and Todd's widow, Lucia Connelly; grandchildren Louis Connelly, Walter Connelly, Daniel & Amanda Caless, Peter & Darcy Caless, Alison Caless, Sarah & Jenna Walden McGowan, Nathaniel & Jenna Walden, Tanner Connelly & Sascha Scheider; and one great-grandchild, McKenna Connelly. Betsy was predeceased by her parents and three siblings, Vernon (Tad) Cooke, Raymond Cooke and Virginia (Ginny) Eaton. She is survived by her beloved sister, Lorna Cooke DeVaron. Betsy also leaves many cherished nieces and nephews, and her dearly loved namesake, Betsy Assoumou, daughter of Dr. Jacqueline Gnagne (deceased). A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, November 19th at the First Parish, 20 Lexington Road, Concord Center. Private burial will be at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Betsy's memory to: The Concord Players, 51 Walden Street, Concord, MA 01742 or to The First Parish, 20 Lexington Road, Concord, MA 01742. Arrangements are under the care of the Dee Funeral Home of Concord.