PORTLAND – Betty Dudley, 89, passed away on Sunday, March 14, 2021, concluding a life filled with family and friends and spanning many glorious years. She died peacefully in her sleep at home where she always wanted to be. The Lord’s angels escorted her to heaven to rejoin her deceased husband, John Colby Dudley.

Betty was born in June of 1931 in Caribou, Maine, and was raised on a farm by her parents Frank and Katherine Gahagan Thompson along with her brothers, Franklin, Morris, Reginald and Perley and sisters, Charlotte and Mary, now all deceased.

Her family re-located to lower Park Street in Portland. As a child, Betty was a communicant and student at St. Dominic’s and later graduated from Portland High School. In 1950, she lost both of her parents two weeks apart. In true Irish fashion, Betty gave up her dreams of becoming a language teacher so she could go to work and take care of her younger siblings as well as some nieces and nephews.

She met her husband, John, after his service in World War II and got married in 1952. Their honeymoon was short lived when they arrived in New York City by train only to discover they didn’t have any money to stay there so back to Maine they came. John was employed by the Maine Central Railroad/Portland Terminal Company while Betty worked as an operator for New England Telephone on Forest Avenue with her friend Lena McCarthy. She retired in 1968 after a back injury suffered on a toboggan ride down the 18th hole at Riverside Golf Course. Betty was an active member of the St. Dominic’s Mothers Club. She was a former member of the Victorian Society of the Victoria Mansion on Danforth Street which she enjoyed tremendously during the Christmas season. Betty was also an auxiliary member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organizations.

She and John were very active in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary having joined in 1979 and traveled throughout the country to participate in various conventions and activities. In pursuit of her dreams to be a teacher, Betty became an instructor in seamanship, boating safety, administration and piloting courses for the Coast Guard. She donated countless hours patrolling Casco Bay providing courtesy boat inspections and aid to distressed boats. Betty was the first female elected to serve as Flotilla Commander for the Casco Bay Coast Guard Auxiliary. Betty also held offices at the District, Division and National levels of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. She and John met many new friends during these years including Admiral Rich Rybacki and his wife Sue; Admiral George and Brenda Auchy; and Tom and Elizabeth Fisher.

When her son Brian went to Cheverus High School, Betty and John moved to Fobes Street in the North Deering section of Portland. They became very close with their next-door neighbors Freeman and Josephine Dulac and their family. They also added Brian’s classmates Ricker Hamilton, Paul Kelly and Bob Ridge into the extended family. Many a night of card games and afternoons of “competitive croquet” were enjoyed by all throughout their high school and college years. For a while, these newly-adopted sons thought her name was “Goshdarn It Betty”, a frequent expletive from her husband John on a misread of the playing cards. (By the way, for those in the know, John never would have used the phrase Goshdarn IT!) Betty’s love for these people extended throughout life and she welcomed their wives, Cindy, Lynne and Jan into the extended family.

Betty was very active in the Cheverus Mother’s Club and a parishioner of St. Pius X Church. Betty and John spent a lot of time with their grandchildren Connor and Meaghan and frequently took them to Storyland and Santa’s Village. She took great pride in her family and their accomplishments and was always there whenever they needed her.

When her sister, Charlotte, became gravely ill, Betty realized her true calling in life of providing compassionate home care to someone in need. She traveled daily to be with her sister at her home in Scarborough. This continued when her husband John was diagnosed with leukemia in 1996. Betty spent the next four years at his side, coordinating doctor’s appointments and treatments. During a temporary remission, they were able to enjoy a surprise 40th anniversary party with many friends and relatives. Betty and John were also blessed with the arrival of a third grandchild, Cavan, during this time. With the return of John’s cancer, Betty resumed her full-time role of caregiver. She was truly a real-time Florence Nightingale. She lost her dearly beloved husband John on Nov. 14, 2000.

Betty then became a receptionist at Cheverus High School. There she met many new friends and became the point person for visitors, students and parents. She was always the first to work, even on no school days, and awaited her good friend Randy White’s daily doughnut and juice delivery. In addition to all of the teachers and staff Betty met and loved, she was especially close to John Mullen, Gary Hoyt, Michael Komich, Dot St. Hillaire, Brian Hallisey, Susan Sullivan, Greg Szkarlat and Barbara Johnson. Her years at Cheverus included the tenures of four Presidents, all of whom loved Betty: (Rev.) John Keegan, S.J.; (Rev.) Ronald Amiot, S.J.; (Rev.) William Campbell, S.J.; and (Rev.) George Collins, S.J.

While at Cheverus, Betty took exceptional pride in also having her son Brian work there and her grandson Cavan go to school and graduate from there. These times at Cheverus were the golden years of her life.

She was also active in the Lifeline program and frequently walked the Boulevard with her close friend Joan as well as playing scrabble and with her good friend Greg Szkarlat. She also enjoyed breakfasts and lunches with Joan and Greg.

She was blessed to have had two beautiful great grandchildren: Ainsleigh Elizabeth Dame and Grady John Dudley. She very much enjoyed the time she had with them. Following two replacement hip surgeries, she had no problem chasing them around with her walker and sitting for periodic musical performances in the kitchen. Betty was present when Ainsleigh was baptized by Father Campbell in the NICU at Maine Medical Center and Grady by Father Collins in the Cheverus Chapel. She felt so blessed on those two very special days.

Surviving Betty are her son, Brian L. Dudley and his spouse, her daughter-in-law Sandra J. Glynn of Portland and Long Island; her grandchildren, Connor M. Dudley and his wife Meghan B. Dudley of Westbrook; her granddaughter Meaghan B. Dame and her husband Corey Dame of Windham; and her grandson Cavan G. Dudley of Orono; her great granddaughter Ainsleigh E. Dame and great grandson Grady J. Dudley; her very close friends Greg Szkarlat of Portland; Susan Sullivan of Portland; and Joan Dellatorre of Westbrook. Betty also leaves behind many nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours celebrating Betty’s life will be held from 4-7 p.m., on Friday, March 19, 2021 at the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home, 172 State Street, Portland. Due to current gathering limitations, a Mass of Christian Burial will be livestreamed at 9:30 a.m., on Saturday, March 20, 2021. To remotely attend Betty’s Funeral, please visit http://www.Facebook.com/ConroyTullyWalker. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery, South 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 to the Cheverus Legacy Fund at Cheverus High School.

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