Betsy W. Benzel, age 86, of Greenville, DE, and formerly of Kiawah Island, SC, died peacefully at home on February 26, 2023.
Betsy was born in New Brunswick, NJ to James and Irene (Boehm) Waddell, and moved to Wilmington, DE in the early 1950’s. She attended Wilmington Friends School, then graduated from Emma Willard in 1954, and Wellesley College in 1958. She married John Benzel in February 1959. They lived in Fort Devens, MA and Arlington, VA while John completed his army service and medical training, then returned to Wilmington in 1966. There they raised two children, Sherry and Mark, and a favorite companion, a golden retriever named Honey.
Betsy was a devoted mom; she focused on her family, always had an encouraging word, and never missed any of her children’s events. She had many hobbies; she loved to read mysteries and memoirs, work all kinds of puzzles, and do needlepoint. For years, she hosted a group of friends every Monday afternoon, fondly called “Stitch and Bitch,” where they would do needlepoint and catch up. She was also a member of the Wilmington Junior League and served as a guide at Winterthur.
In 1985, John and Betsy began spending time in Kiawah Island, SC, and moved there full time in 2000. She often referred to their eighteen years there as some of her favorite; they enjoyed walking on the beach, watching birds, and spending time with friends, old and new. She was a longtime member of the Wilmington Country Club and the Kiawah Island Club. They returned to Wilmington in 2018 to live in the Stonegates Retirement Community.
Betsy was predeceased by her husband in 2020, and is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Sherry and Peter Willard, her son Mark and fiancé Sarah Murray, as well as Mark’s children Meghan Foxx, Shelby Sims (husband Tevin), and Brock Benzel; and Sarah’s children Magnus, Beatrice, and Katerina Murray; and great granddaughters Presley Foxx and Baylor Sims. Betsy was also predeceased by her brother James G. Waddell, Jr. and her sister, Jane W. Baker. Betsy’s family would like to thank the nursing, therapy, and office staff of Stonegates for their expert and loving care of her in recent years.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Lowcountry Food Bank in Charleston, SC.
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