BIDDEFORD – Betty J. Staly, 89, formerly of Rochester and Macedon, N.Y. and Hereford, Ariz., peacefully passed away Jan. 12, 2021 at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough, surrounded by her family.

Betty was born in Rochester, N.Y. on March 8, 1931, the youngest of five children born to Edward and Mildred Schmaltz. She attended parochial schools in the St. Monica’s diocese.

She loved going to the movies with her siblings and skating at the ice rink and swimming at the pool with her friends at Genesee Valley Park. It was at the ice rink that she met her future husband of 71 years, Jack Staly.

In 1949, Betty and Jack were married and had two children, Patricia and Steven. Betty was first and foremost a homemaker but held several jobs outside the home. During the ’70s, she became her husband’s co-pilot as they made deliveries in their tractor trailer to all the lower 48 states. In the ’90s, Betty went to work at Spring Valley Greenhouse in Walworth, N.Y. Full retirement took her and her husband to Arizona and finally to Maine.

Betty will be remembered for her quiet strength and beautiful smile. She loved babysitting her grandchildren, shopping with her sister and close friends and tending her flower gardens. Of her many creative talents, she possessed the uncanny ability to look at a crocheted item and, without a pattern, replicate the article with ease. Betty fell in love with the Arizona desert, vibrant cactus blooms and looked forward each year to the return of her favorite hummingbirds.

Betty is predeceased by her husband, Jack M. Staly; her parents, Edward and Mildred Schmaltz; brothers, Kenneth and Richard, sisters, Irene and Rosemary.

She is survived by her daughter, Patricia (Donald) Foote of Biddeford, son, Steven (Cindy) Staly of Tombstone, Ariz.; grandson, Jason (partner Katrina) Staly of Groton, Mass. and granddaughter, Makenna (Rod) McBride of Albion, N.Y. Betty is also survived by five great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-granddaughter; as well as many nieces, nephews; great-nieces and nephews; and great-great-nieces and nephews.

The family would like to acknowledge and thank Biddeford Estates, Biddeford for providing a loving, caring environment these past five-plus years and Gosnell Memorial Hospice House of Scarborough for their compassion and care through Betty’s final days.

Arrangements are in care of the Hope Memorial Chapel, Biddeford, http://www.hopememorial.com. A private burial will be at White Haven Memorial Park in Pittsford, N.Y. at the discretion of the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Betty’s memory to:

Gosnell Memorial Hospice House,

11 Hunnewell Road,

Scarborough, ME 04074.

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