MURRELLS INLET, S.C. – Jean Betsy Williams left this world peacefully, on Jan. 12, 2022. She will be missed by her family, and many friends spanning from Cumberland, to Oro Valley, Ariz. to Murrells Inlet in South Carolina. She was an incredible mother to her three children. She was also a Nana to seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Jean was born to Oliver and Helen Sargent on July 31, 1929. She spent many of her summers at the picturesque Camp Se-Sa-Ma-Ca in Raymond, N.H., which catered to the more “well-healed” families from 1931-1982. It helped that Jean’s aunt, Mary Sargent, owned the camp on the shores of Onway Lake. She may have sailed, swam, rode horses, and leaned posh etiquette with the kids of the “rich and famous” from New York and New Jersey – but it never changed who she was.

She was a graduate of Haverhill, Mass. High School and Westbrook Junior College in Portland. It was while attending college that she met the love of her life, David, who was attending Bowdoin College in Brunswick. A courtship ensued that produced many pictures of an incredibly happy couple building a relationship between Brunswick and Portland and on the rocks at Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth. They were married in a beautiful ceremony in Haverhill, Mass. on June 16, 1951.

Early married life was in Braintree, Mass. But they decided in 1958 to leave the daily grind of that Boston suburb for a better life in Cumberland. Jean was a vibrant woman, independent in many aspects of her life, choosing to work through some of her years there in the Cumberland school system, much to the consternation of her children. They built the “perfect life” there, donating their time to many charitable organizations and volunteering to many of the town’s organizations. It was here she raised her three children, each from time to time, more challenging than the others. She and David made many lasting friends in Cumberland and enjoyed their life together.

Shortly following their 50th wedding anniversary in 2001, they headed west. In Oro Valley, Ariz. they built yet, another wonderful life making friends, enjoying dinner parties, and donating more of their time to charitable organizations. Her loving husband, David, left her side in 2007. She was so thankful for Hospice of Oro Valley that she paid it forward by volunteering with them over the next couple of years.

Her lust for life and her independent spirit served her well following David’s passing. She carried on with her lady friends where she was most often the driver for restaurant lunches in her new Mercedes Benz. “We want to go in Jean’s car” could be heard throughout the neighborhood. It was David’s sacrifices that made sure her life was on solid footing when he passed. His children may have called him “cheap” once or twice – but it was his love of Jean, his determination to make sure she would be taken care of, that provided her comfort in 24/7 care over her last year and a half.

Her next stop was Murrells Inlet in South Carolina where she moved into a just built assisted living facility, now called St. Gabriel’s. Again, she lived her life large and made many new friends. She loved her David until the end, adorning her walls with many photographic memories. Her daughter, Gail, was her savior through these last few years – as well her final years in Oro Valley, Ariz. She and her husband Mark lived locally in Oro Valley, Ariz., and then in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Gail performed her “daughter duties” with grace, unselfishness, and an undying love for her mother. Her two brothers, and their families, owe Gail a debt of gratitude.

Jean remained independent in spirit to her final days as she would not let go until her “boys” from New Hampshire and California were able to get to her side. She died with dignity, and with peace, and with only her journey to join her David, as her final thoughts.

A family friend said it perfectly; She was a beautiful Mom, and a grand lady with a great soul! Indeed, she was. That, and so much more.

She is survived by her three children, Gail and Mark Clark, Dean and Kathy, and Duston and Jennifer; grandchildren Stephanie, Chris and Brendon, Adam, Benjamin and Emily, and Morgan; great-grandchildren Zoe, Colin and Abbegayle, Connor, Aidan, Lauren, Charlie, Lennon, Brady and Emerson.

A Celebration of Life will be scheduled in Maine later in the year.

To view these details online or to offer words of comfort through the online guest book, visit, http://www.burroughsfh.com

Burroughs Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 843-651-1440, are honored to assist the family.

In lieu of flowers, we invite you to join our families and please consider a donation, in Jean’s name, to a charity that is close to your heart.

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