Betty Allen Spadaro

Betty Allen Spadaro died on May 2, 2022.  Betty, the daughter of the late Virgil Allen and Stella Horton Allen Vroman, grew up in Amsterdam and Schenectady.  She was a graduate from Nott Terrace High School in 1936 and Oneonta Normal School in 1939 with a certificate to teach elementary grades.  It was there, where she met many of her life-long friends.  Betty was awarded the Bachelor of Education and later the Masters of Education degrees from the NYS Teachers College in Albany.

Betty commenced teaching in the Bozenkill Rural School Knox 12 located a mile above Altamont.  (This school building has been placed on the Altamont Fair grounds and dedicated in Betty’s honor.)   She taught in a two-room school located in the Jericho School of South Albany for one year.  Betty joined the Altamont High School faculty and taught grades 5 and 6 with 39 children her first year.  During the following years, schools were becoming very crowded and churches, legions, firehouses, and homes were used.  She served on the committee to centralize the area rural schools into the Guilderland Central School District.  

Betty became president of the teachers’ association of the Guilderland district and a representative at the annual teachers’ state association convention for four years.  After 39 years of teaching, in 1979 she retired.  While a teacher, Betty stressed the basics along with emphasizing promptness, honesty, ambition, faithfulness, and organizations.  Many children should remember being in plays, square dancing, performing the Virginia reel or making cookies.  Her classes visited such places as shirt factory, Cooperstown Hall of Fame, a felt mill, Freihofers Bakery, Fort Crailo, Cherry Hill and Great Escape.

Betty became very active in the Altamont community while teaching there.  It was a big year for her as she had married Patrick (Pat) Spadaro on December 26, 1945, who had returned from WWII with nearly four years of his service in the European Theater area.  She became secretary of the PTA at Altamont Elementary.  When her husband became a Masonic member, Betty joined Helderberg Chapter #331 Order of the Eastern Star (OES) in 1951. Patrick and Betty represented the organizations as Patron and Matron in 1957.  This led to her being selected to represent the Albany-Rensselaer-Schenectady District OES in 1975 as the District Deputy.  Betty was secretary of her chapter for 16 years.
She became president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Altamont Fire Department, president of the Helderberg Post #977 American Legion Auxiliary and a charter member of the VFW Boyd Hilton #7062 Auxiliary.

For over 60 years she has promoted the Altamont Fair and served as president for two years.  Just before retiring, Betty and Bobbie Northrup organized the Great Apple Festival with all churches, clubs and organizations involved and included a parade, contests, dances, and dinner.
In 1977 Pat and Betty built a cottage on the shore of Glen Lake with plans to spend vacations and summers there.  Quickly it became their main residence.  Both immediately became involved with the Queensbury Senior Citizens (QSC).  She was the secretary for many years and president for two years.  In 1997 Betty was honored to receive the NYS Legislature Achievement Award representing Warren County.  Pat and Betty participated in many activities with the QSC:  trips, crafts, poetry, books, and cards.  She was chairman of the annual bazaar for many years and directed the play “Bessie”.  Betty initiated the QSC basket parties.
Both joined Glen Star #95 OES and the Warren-Washington District selected Betty to represent them as the District Deputy in 1997.  During her years with OES, Betty held the offices of Associate Grand Warder (2001), Grand Representative of Wyoming, and Grand Representative of Virginia.  She enjoyed her travels throughout the state and the states she represented.  Betty acquired many lasting friends.  She also became a member of the Cyrene Temple #18 Daughters of the Nile.
From practically day one their son, Dick, became very interested in “wheels”.  Pat ran the concession stand at the Edinburg go-kart race track and Betty worked at the admission gate while Dick raced #15 until he graduated from high school.  She later enjoyed attending sprint races and being in the pits when Dick raced #29 with the Outlaws or Empire Super Sprints.
Betty loved to travel and particularly enjoyed a safari experience in Kenya, walking along the Wall of China, the golden structures in Thailand, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, riding in the huge Ferris Wheel in Vienna, cruising the Panama Canal, and cruising the Caribbean.  She visited many historical sites in the USA as well as traveling to England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

Bridge, pinochle, books, poetry, crossword puzzles, music and drama interested Betty throughout her life.  Above all, Betty loved to entertain. Perhaps her greatest pleasure in her later years, was being out on Glen Lake in the pontoon boat with her son, observing the Adirondacks, the osprey nests, and the blue sky with beautiful cumulus clouds.
In addition to the loss of her parents, Betty was predeceased by her husband, Patrick Spadaro in 1989, whose father, a trustee of the Knox 12 Rural School hired Betty sight unseen. Their only child, Richard (Dick) Spadaro #29 died of a brain tumor in 2015.  Betty is survived by her cousins:  Ernest Horton, Schenectady; Edward Horton, Amsterdam; Patricia Spadaro, Herkimer; Frank Spadaro, Malta; Linda Miller, Menands and her nieces Susie Arnold, Wisconsin, and Terri McCoy, Albany. Thanks to Frank and Susan Spadaro who have been there for Betty constantly since her son became ill.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Friday, May 13, 2022 in the chapel of the Memory Gardens Inc. Cemetery, 983 Watervliet Shaker Road, Albany, N.Y. followed by a committal service in their family plot next to her husband and son.  Mrs. Ruth Howe, and long time friend of Berry’s will officiate at the services. 

Please feel free to bring a folding chair with you as they are limited at the cemetery.  

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:
Queensbury Senior Citizens Inc., 742 Bay Road, Queensbury NY 12804

Altamont Fair, PO Box 506, 129 Grand Street, Altamont NY 12009

Altamont Free Library, 179 Main Street, Altamont NY 12009

“Always be ready to enjoy and appreciate the beauty surrounding us.”

 

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