Elizabeth A. “Betty” Rectanus, age 87, of Vero Beach, FL, passed away peacefully on December 2, 2019.
Betty was the daughter of Thomas and Violet O’Rourke; she was raised in Salem, MA. She graduated from the Salem Hospital School of Nursing in 1953.
She began her nursing career at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, MA. Betty received an Adult Nurse Practitioner certificate, and Master’s in Education from Antioch.
She introduced and became the first Adult Nurse Practitioner employed at the Boston Veterans Administration outpatient clinic. Betty was also employed by Harvard University outpatient clinic.
She was the beloved wife of the late Dr. Daniel R. Rectanus of Falmouth, MA., loving mother of Karen Stefani and her husband Jeff of Vero Beach, FL, , John Welch of Hull, MA,. Stephen and his wife Leslie of Hanover, MA,, Kathy and her husband Michael of Kensington, NH, Paul Welch and his wife Magali of Waterbury Center, VT.
She was the sister of Irene (O’Rourke) Sullivan of Derry, NH., and very proud grandmother of 10 and great-grandmother of 7.
She was an excellent cook, avid reader and enjoyed keeping up with the activities of all of her grandchildren and antics of her great-grandchildren.
There will be a private interment in the spring at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. Donations in Betty’s memory can be made to the Tunnels to Towers Foundation, tunnels2towers.org.