PORTLAND – Elizabeth “Betty” (Valente) Moberg, 83, passed away suddenly at her home, on Feb. 13, 2021.

Betty was born in Portland on June 11, 1937, and was the daughter of the late Ernest and Mabel (Siteman) Valente.

She graduated from Cathedral High School in 1955 and began working at New England Telephone Co. In 1958 she first met her beloved husband, George “Moe” Moberg (Ret. USCG). The couple married in 1959 and settled in Portland’s West End, where they welcomed and raised three sons. Their lasting love of over 61 years was truly an inspiration to those around them.

Betty’s zest for life was unrivaled. Her love and faith in God helped her to remain strong and positive through any trials life brought her way. She always lived life to the fullest, and her strong spirit was contagious to those around her.

Betty devoted her life to her family and was always there to support them. She enjoyed spending as much time as possible with them and enthusiastically attended every birthday, sporting event, show, and graduation of her children and grandchildren.

Betty also had a very special relationship with her siblings, especially her three sisters, Mary, Dottie, and Carolyn. Every Sunday for decades they would gather together for dinner, discussing and solving world issues, reliving the golden days, singing, laughing, sometimes crying, but mostly enjoying just being together.

Betty loved the outdoors, especially the beach. She was a firm believer that “Salt water can cure anything.” She spent countless weekends with her family at their usual spot at Ocean Park in Old Orchard Beach. What started as trips with her sisters quickly expanded as their families grew. Betty loved to walk the beach, wrangling all the kids as they stopped to look for crabs and sand dollars on their way to the pier. She also taught her grandchildren the proper way to bodysurf. Those family beach days gave three generations such incredible, treasured memories.

It was important to Betty to be active in her community. She and Moe lead by example, cooking and delivering meals to housebound seniors. She volunteered for years as a teacher’s aide at Saint Dominic’s and Cathedral schools, served as team mother for her sons’ little league teams, and spent countless hours making cat toys as a fundraiser for the Cleo Fund. The Cleo Fund was a calling for her; she volunteered for a number of years and eventually ran the organization herself. Betty was a devoted animal lover, rescuing hundreds of cats and kittens over the years and nursing many of them back to health in her home. Once they were ready, she made sure they went to good homes. Quite often though, she became so attached that a number of them remained with her as pets. In later years, Betty and Moe enjoyed the company of their son Mark’s dog, Dylan, providing him with a loving home and comfortable life.

Betty also had a love and skill for gardening which resulted in a serene, lush, and beautiful backyard sanctuary.

Betty always said, “Age is just a number,” and she truly embodied that mindset. She loved being active and social, and was always looking for a new challenge. She was bodysurfing into her late 70s, and even tried kayaking for the first time in Casco Bay at 82-years young. She never let age dictate what she could achieve. She participated in the Maine Senior Games for more than 20 years with her sisters, Dottie and Carolyn, regularly taking home gold and silver medals in multiple events including horseshoes, cornhole, and candlepin bowling to name a few.

At nearly 81-years young, she was awarded the honor of Female Athlete of the Year for 2017 and, at 83, she completed the virtual 5k Maine Marathon with her sisters Dottie and Carolyn. She exercised three times a week with the group “Fit to Live” for over 22 years up until the day she passed. She loved the program and the friends she made there, and would have met with them daily if she could. Members of the group have said they found her to be an inspiration and a role model, a sentiment her family certainly shares.

In addition to her parents, Betty was predeceased by her brother, Ernest “Speed” Valente, and her sister, Mary Wilson.

She will be lovingly remembered and missed by her husband, Moe; her sons: Michael (his wife, Susan), Mark, and Timmy; her grandchildren: Ashley Staples (her husband, Josh), Whitney, Matthew, and Jacob Moberg; her great-grandchildren: Alivia, Henry, Sophia, and Jack; her sisters: Dorothy Valente and Carolyn Valente DuEst, and many nieces and nephews.

Betty meant the world to her family. She was their rock and she will be loved by them forever. She dedicated her life to her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and was very proud of each one. She was a remarkable role model who taught her family as well as others she came in contact with strength, positivity, patience, generosity, respect, and love. She was a vibrant soul who was tough, full of wit, and extremely kind-hearted. She had an incredible impact on many lives and her family is blessed to have had her leading them, instilling her unconditional love and wisdom. Betty was a treasure and will be missed dearly. Her spirit and memory will live on through her family.

The family wishes to send a special thank you to Patty Medina, the coach at Fit to Live, who became a dear friend to Betty.

Services to celebrate Betty’s life will be held at a later date for immediate family only. However, it will be livestreamed through Conroy-Tully Funeral Services.

Arrangements are under the direction of Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland. To view Betty’s memorial page or to share an online condolence please visit http://www.ConroyTullyWalker.com.

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

Maine Senior Games,

PO Box 513,

Scarborough, ME 04070

Or

Animal Welfare Society,

PO Box 43,

West Kennebunk, ME 04094

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