Betty Green Roope Wade
WADE, Betty Green Roope, 80, SAN DIEGO, CA, & PRESQUE ISLE, at San Diego, July 15, 2010. An Eastern Star graveside service will be held September 25, at Fairmount Cemetery, Presque Isle, at 11 a.m. with a recpetion following at the Masonic Temple in Presque Isle.
Betty was born 1/1/1930 in Presque Isle, to Fay Astle Green and Gretchen Boyd Green. She passed away 7/15/2010 in San Diego, CA.
Betty graduated from Presque Isle High School in 1947. She was crowned Miss Presque Isle and then went on to be crowned Maine Potato Blossom Queen that same year. Betty also participated in the Miss Maine contest in 1948. Betty was a Girl Scout leader in the ‘40s. Her sister, Dawn, was in her troop. While living in Presque Isle, she was a member of Beta Sigma Phi and Lunar Chapter OES Eastern Star and was Worthy Matron in 1961. She was a model for local stores, including Green’s, Puritan, Wilkins and Weinberg’s.
Betty moved to the San Diego community in 1969. She earned an Associates Degree in Finance from Mesa College and worked as a bookkeeper for 30+ years in addition to running her own catering and cake decorating business. During her years in San Diego, she was also active in volunteer work. She donated many hours to the San Diego Share Program, which provides food for the needy, and to Great Oaks Village, a home for those with disabilities. A former director of Great Oaks who worked with Betty over the years stated that, “Betty worked tremendously hard with the Auxiliary whenever called upon and she was the chief chef for the annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser where she made the best sauce in the world”.
Betty was a lover of books, the Kentucky Derby, roses, Sunday drives, puzzles, volunteering, canasta, pot lucks, cooking, bunko, walking through the Botanical Gardens in Balboa Park and the occasional slot machine. She was charismatic, independent, funny, intelligent, engaging, decisive, charming and resilient. Betty will be greatly missed by all of her family and friends.
Betty is survived by her seven children: Gretchen Roope Wilson of Hayden, AL, Dorothy Roope Perry of Toponas, CO, Lynn Roope Ridpath of San Diego, CA, Patricia Roope Davis of Winston Salem, NC, Stephen Roope of New York, NY, Kathleen Roope of Steep Falls, ME, and Patrick Roope of San Diego, CA; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two brothers: Laurel Green of Presque Isle, and Richard Green of Farmingdale, ME; two sisters: Dawn Green Calbi of Burke, VA, and Ann Green Baker of Prospect, CT; one niece; and eight nephews.
An Eastern Star graveside service will be held on September 25, 2010, at Fairmount Cemetery, Presque Isle, at 11 a.m. with a reception following at the Masonic Temple in Presque Isle at noon. Donations can be made in her memory to Caring Area Neighbors for Cancer Education and Recovery at C.A.N.C.E.R., PO Box 811, Presque Isle, ME 04769.
