December 11, 2022

Resident of Pleasant Hill, CA

Elizabeth “Betty” J. MacKenzie of Pleasant Hill, CA, aged 95 years died on 12/11/22. Married to and preceded in death by her husband of 67 years Glen B. MacKenzie, also her brother Harold “Hank” Waite, son-in-law B. Kent Cronin and grandson S. David Vallentyne. She leaves behind five children, Madonna Parr of Alexandria, LA, Joan Cronin of Concord, CA, Patricia Vallentyne of Coarsegold, CA, Janet MacKenzie of Port Costa, CA and John MacKenzie of Port Costa, 9 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Born in Chicago, Ill, she could be tough, yet deeply caring and always generous with her time.

In the 1940’s Betty’s father gave a lift to a young Merchant Marine on leave in New York who became her future husband. They were married in New York, honeymooned at Yosemite National Park, and then settled down in Pleasant Hill, CA where they raised their family and built a house “out in the country”. Following her passions as a young woman, she served in the Nurses Cadet Corp and continued to make a career in the medical field earning a master’s degree in nursing from College Of Holy Names. She worked where she was needed most from the Berkeley Free Clinic, through concluding her in-hospital career at the Contra Costa County Hospital in Martinez.

Driven by her want to serve the elderly of her community, she became a founder of the Adult Day Care in Pleasant Hill and volunteered at the Pleasant Hill Senior for Center as a leader of the Caretakers Support program as well as tutoring adult computer classes. She was an active board member of Hillcrest Congregational Church in Pleasant Hill, singing in the choir and creating the monthly news bulletins.

Not one to slow down after retirement, she cultivated roses, held tea parties, did needlepoint, swam 3 days a week at the local YMCA, and cared for her 9 grandchildren.

She satisfied her need to continually be of service by learning Healing Touch therapy, volunteering for Project Second Chance Literacy program, and rescuing dogs Charlie, Jessie and Bonnie. Her interest in her Scottish heritage and the latest technology, lead to researching her family’s genealogy. If you called her to chat at 7 pm, you could count on hearing “Jeopardy!” blaring in the background. Along with Glen’s help their Fourth Of July parties were legendary. She and Glen traveled to many of the 50 states until they found a love of the desert, where they returned each year to Borrego Springs.

Known for pinching a penny so tightly she once made Lincoln cry, it’s no wonder that one of her fondest childhood memories is that of being treated by a family friend to a shopping trip to FAO Schwarz each Christmas.

Reunited with your God, your body is now released to join the soul gone for years once again. You have surely already re-orchestrated the angel’s songs on high and are back to bossing dad. It was your time to go and our time to finish our longest goodbye.

Memorial to be held March 11, 2023, 1 p.m. Hillcrest Church, 404 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523.