Death Announced of Betty Maerz, Formerly of Old Lyme, Remembered for Faith, Family and Art

Betty Maerz, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, musician, artist, teacher and woman of deep faith, died July 30 at age 95 in her home in Riverview, Fla.

Born in Hartford on March 21, 1931, Betty lived a life defined by her faith, family and love. She was a devoted daughter and sister who became a caregiver to her parents, the cherished wife of a husband who predeceased her by 27 years, as well as a proud mother of five daughters whose lives were shaped by her sacrifice, example and encouragement. Her family grew to include five sons-in-law, 12 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and another great-grandchild born days after her passing, along with many other relatives also blessed by her kindness.

Betty kept family first yet managed an active and creative life outside her home. She taught piano and art lessons well into her 80s, was an organist and choir director, and worked as an administrative assistant at Saint Joseph College (now University of Saint Joseph) in West Hartford.

A lifelong love of learning led to her music degree from the college while she worked full-time and raised her family, graduating with academic distinction. She studied religion, philosophy, music and the arts, expanding her knowledge into her 90s, and became a prolific, accomplished painter.

Betty’s Catholic faith remained her foundation. She spent countless hours in Mass, prayer and spiritual reading, and was active in the Third Order of Mary at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Essex. She played the organ in several churches as she moved among towns in Connecticut and Florida, and her final contribution came as the oldest chorister at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Riverview, Fla.

Betty will be remembered for all of this and more as her legacy lingers in the people she touched, the lessons she taught, the music she shared, the paintings she created and her enduring example of devotional grace.

She is survived by her loving daughters and their husbands, Janet and Chip Tanner, Mary Nodden, Ann Marie and John Vaughan, Ginny and Jeff Cassidy, and Beth Maerz and Rich Rago; adoring grandchildren Rick, Michelle, Alex, Casey, AJ, Austin, Jessiana, Dylan, Maura, Brett, Audrey and Emily; great-grandchildren John, Alina and Catherine Elizabeth; as well as sister Louise Bagg of Texas and her extended family.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Jessie Brown; her beloved husband, Jack Maerz; and her son-in-law Marc Nodden.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Aug. 12 at 10:30 a.m. in Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 14 Prospect Street in Essex, followed by burial at Duck River Cemetery, 12 McCurdy Road in Old Lyme. Family visiting hours will be Aug. 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main Street in Centerbrook. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org.