Bethel Teacher's Aide Betty Ruth Stephens O'Rourke Markhard, 87, Passed Away

BETHEL, CT — Betty Ruth Stephens O'Rourke Markhard, 87, passed from this life on September 19, 2016 at The Villages Regional Hospital in Florida. She was born in Nashville, Tennessee on October 17, 1928, to William Milford and Jessie Mai (Hunter) Stephens.Betty attended West Nashville schools until she moved to New York City in June 1943. She graduated from Walton High School in the Bronx in 1946.

Betty attended Western Connecticut State University receiving a B.A. in Accounting in 1994. She worked in education as a Teacher's Aide in the Bethel, CT schools and later had a long career employed as a Bank Manager at two banks and rose to the position of Vice President.She married Edward T. O'Rourke on October 16, 1949 and lived in the Bronx for 3 years. They moved to Bethel, Connecticut in 1952 and remained in town for 42 years where they raised their three children. Betty was active in the Homemaker's Club, Girl Scouts, P.T.A., Heart Association Fund (Captain), Apple Blossom Festival, coached Girls Softball, was a Cub Scout Den Mother and served as secretary for the Bethel United Methodist Church.

After their retirement in 1994, the couple divided their time between their vacation home in Dennisport, MA (Cape Cod) and their home in The Villages of Lady Lake, FL. Her husband Edward passed in 1996. She married Gerald B. Markhard of the Villages in 2004, he passed in 2007. In her retirement, Betty created many works of art in different mediums, was very active playing Bridge and Mah - Jong, and was a member of the Charter Chicks (El Cortez) Woman's Group, North Lake Presbyterian Church Singles Club, the Foreign Film Club as well as other clubs in The Villages.

Betty loved to read, especially mystery novels and passed that love of reading onto her children and grandchildren. She was very talented at sewing and made many of her own as well as her children's clothes and costumes. Betty loved classical music, solving jigsaw puzzles, playing solitaire and cribbage and going to the movies. She loved to spend time dancing on Saturday nights and was known to sing along with the music while driving in her car, Willie Nelson was a favorite. Betty was an avid golfer and had two "Holes in One" on The Villages golf courses. She loved to go to the beach in Cape Cod, especially with her grandchildren.

Above all, Betty loved to travel and took many trips through Europe, the Mediterranean, Russia, Egypt, the Far East including China, Australia and New Zealand, Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada, Hawaii and Alaska as well as most of the lower 48 states.

Betty is predeceased by her parents, stepfather, Albert H. Bohn, sister, Gladys Louise Love, her two husbands, Edward and Gerald, and her companion poodle Meme. She is survived by her sons, Stephen O'Rourke of Bethel, CT and Douglas O'Rourke of Lady Lake, FL, her daughter Karen Keeler (Mark) of New Fairfield, CT, her grandson Andrew Keeler (Jonalyn) of Superior, CO and her daughter Adrienne Ciarletta (Joe) of Wassaic, NY and was blessed with a great-grandson Nicholas Edward Ciarletta. Betty is also survived by her sister Emily Hill (John) of Oxford, NY, a special cousin, Lois Hagar of Nashville, TN and her gentleman pups, Jack and Beau. Several nieces and nephews in New York and Georgia and many cousins in Tennessee survive her as well. She was a Southern woman at heart.

Family and friends will gather at the Bethel United Methodist Church, 141 Greenwood Ave. in Bethel, CT on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. for a Memorial service. Interment will be in the Florida National Cemetery at 10:00 on November 4, 2016.

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