PORTLAND – Betty Hauptman (née Holzman), 84, of Portland, and formerly of Greenwich, Conn., passed away peacefully on May 1, 2021.

Betty was born on Nov. 26, 1936, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the daughter of Herman and Regina Holzman (née Greenberg). She attended primary school in Brooklyn and graduated from the City College of New York, now called Baruch College at CUNY, where she studied marketing and public relations. During college, Betty met Michael “Mike” Hauptman, and they were married in Brooklyn on Nov. 28, 1957. After college, Betty worked in the advertising field with Cunningham & Walsh and later with Young & Rubicam. In 1968, Betty and Mike moved to Greenwich, Conn. to raise their two sons; they were married for 56 years until Mike’s passing in 2013.

While busy raising her boys, Betty found the time to be a leader in her community and as a result, she touched and improved the lives of many people, the vast majority of whom she never even met. Betty served as President of the Greenwich Chapter of the League of Women Voters where she helped shape and advance progressive, women-focused initiatives. She later served as the Chair of the Greenwich Library Board of Trustees, Vice-Chair of the Greenwich Board of Health, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Stamford, Conn., Shelter for the Homeless. In 1993, Betty joined Greenwich Hospital’s Development Office, where she rose to become Executive Director and Head of Development. While at Greenwich Hospital, Betty led the successful campaign to raise tens of millions of dollars to fund the construction of a brand new, state-of-the-art hospital building. At the same time, Betty served as the Chair of the Greenwich Commission on Aging. Upon leaving Greenwich Hospital in 2006, Betty took on yet another challenge and helped found At Home in Greenwich, an organization that supports and empowers seniors to live independently in their preferred environment. Betty also served for many years as a Justice of the Peace, where she delighted in marrying hundreds of happy couples. In 2011, after more than 40 years in Greenwich, Betty and Mike moved to Portland to be closer to family and also, in Betty’s case, to lobster rolls. Even in retirement, Betty continued to serve her community on an advisory board with the Southern Maine Agency on Aging.

A long-time survivor of breast cancer, Betty also battled Multiple Sclerosis for the last two decades of her life, and was an exemplar of strength, courage and grace in her perseverance against the disease.

Betty reveled in her time with family and friends, and enjoyed politics, reading, cooking and experiencing diverse cultures through travel. A city girl at heart, she would indulge (always in good humor) family skiing and sailing adventures in pursuit of quality time together. Most of all, throughout her long and fulfilling life, Betty was known for her unceasing kindness, warmth, caring, optimism, devotion to her family and friends, and her easy and winning smile. She will be greatly missed.

Betty is survived by her son James and daughter-in-law Jennifer Ellis of Falmouth and son William and daughter-in-law Michele Lindsey of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Betty is also survived by her five loving grandchildren, Natalie, Graham, Ella, Samantha and Mia, who range in ages from 25 to 14. Betty’s only sibling, Irwin Lloyd Holzman, passed away in 2015.

The family would like to thank all of Betty’s friends and caregivers for their kindness, support and good wishes through the years.

A private memorial in celebration of Betty’s life is planned when it is safe for her family and friends to be together.

In lieu of flowers,

contributions in her memory may be made to the:

National Multiple

Sclerosis Society

(NationalMSSociety.org)

May her memory be a blessing to us all